Practice Makes Better, Not Perfect

I recently wrote about my absence from this blog.   I had developed some infections and had heart surgery so all my energy went to getting better. 

But some of the energy and time, particularly in the hospital, went to needlework. Having a needle and thread in my hand helped calm me.  It occupied my time and mind.  It helped make some of that time away from home feel normal.

But I have to admit that with the weakness in my body, my stitches were not as pretty as they had been before I got sick.  My embroidery looked like it did when I was 9 years old and just learning to stitch even though I had been stitching for decades.

I'm not one to take out my stitches and redo them when they are not smooth and since the pieces were just for me, I just left them.  I was fairly sure that redoing them would not improve them and would just stress and frustrate me, undoing the calm the stitching had brought me in the first place.

The actual stitching was helping me in other ways.  As I mentioned it calmed me while I lived, at one point 4 months, in a place that was not mine.  It kept my mind occupied as I waited for tests to be done or results to be reported.  

It brought some normalcy to my life;  I was doing what I would have at home. Even to the point of displaying them in my hospital rooms just like I would have at home. I began to notice as I looked at my hand stitched display, that my stitches were getting tighter, straighter, and smooth looking.  My skill was coming back.

I realized it was just like with my physical therapy.  The more steps I took  or the more I worked with a hand weight, the stronger I became and the better my movement was.  I slowly became more confident in my stitching and my stepping.  

So if you find yourself in a situation where your skill has weakened from illness or injury, don't give up.  Keep stitching.  Keep painting, sculpting, making pots, doing wood work, even cooking or baking.  Keep up with your creating.  It may not be your prettiest work but it will get better and it is helping you heal inside as well.  

© 2026. Cheryl E Fillion 

July Fun Days

 July has some fun days mostly involving food.  So it might be a good month to try some new eats.

But you want to start the month with International Joke Day on July 1.  Tell as many jokes as you can, maybe even teach a couple to the kids in your life.  The first one I learned was “Why is a barn so noisy?” – “Because cows have horns.” 

Now for you who are interested in extra terrestrials, July 2 is  World UFO days.  (and I don’t think they mean quilter’s UFOs which are un-finished objects.). And while we are in space, July 20 is National Moon Day.  And you can continue to look at the moon in a hammock on July 22 for National Hammock Day.  You might want to share your hammock with someone on July 30th which is the International Day of Friendship.

Of course here in the U.S. July 4 is Independence Day.  And July 6 is International Kissing Day.  I probably don’t need to give ideas of what to do that day.   If you have been thinking of cleaning out your closets,  July 15th is a good day with Nation Give Something Away Day. And don’t forget to do something for your favorite Aunt and Uncle on July 26th because that is their day, National Aunt and Uncle Day.

We do have a couple of animal days in July.  National Kitten Day is July 10th so spend some time with your favorite feline or if you can, go adopt one at a local shelter.  July 14th is Cow Appreciation Day.  Go visit a farm or a zoo which might have cows or if nothing else just eat chicken or fish that day.  We end the month with National Mutt Day, giving equal time to dog lovers.

As I mentioned earlier the rest of the month fun days are filled with food.  Starting with National Fried Chicken Day also on July 6th.  The 13th is National French Fry Day  followed by National Mac and Cheese Day on the 14th. Eat your Hot dog on July 23rd because it is National Hot Dog Day and then have a chili dog on July 30th because that day honors the chili dog.   Make sure to get one meal thru a Drive thru on the 24th because, yes, it is National Drive Thru Day.   If you can’t decide what to have on the  29th, think about lasagna since that is National Lasagna Day.  

Now that your main meals are taken care of, here is what to have for dessert.  Ice cream is an important dessert in July.  You need that creamy goodness to cool you down.  So have  A strawberry sundae on July 7th and a hot fudge sundae on the 25th and then any ice cream on National Ice Cream Day on the 19th.   A sugar cookie has its own day on July 9th.  July 12th is Eat your Jello Day so cool down with your favorite jello.  July 28th is the day to drink your chocolate milk with any left over cookies from National Sugar Cookie Day.  And finish your desserts with cheese cake on July 30th.

So if  your family needs some fun things to do, here are some ideas for July.  Put them on your calendar and get the whole family involved with the planning of the day.  Happy July.

©2020, 2026 Cheryl E. Fillion

 

July's Quirky Holidays

With th USA'S 250th Birthday coming this July, why not make a month of it and celebrate all month long.  July has a lot of holidays.  

Of course in the US, there is July 4th, Independence Day when it was decided to separate from Britain and form our own nation.  That is a big summer celebration with picnics, parades and fireworks.  But there are a lot more reasons to celebrate in July, especially if a picnic on July 4th isn’t enough.

There are all kinds of food “Days”.  July 1st is Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day and International Chicken Wing Day. July 3rd is Eat Beans Day.  Sidewalk Egg Frying Day is also on July 4th (not sure I would want to eat that egg).  Do you like apple turnovers?  Well, have one on July 5th, that is National Apple Turnover Day.  July 6th is National Fried Chicken Day.  July 7th is Chocolate Day, International Cherry Pit Spitting Day (got to eat the cherry to get the pit) and National Strawberry Sundae Day.  My favorite summer fruit – blueberries is honored on July 8th.(and then Pick Blueberries Day is on the 10th and National Blueberry Muffins Day is the 11th)

July 10th is National Sugar Cookie Day (and you could revisit the Chocolate Day and Strawberry Sundae Day by having aother sundae with a little chocolate syrup and a cookie).  Just to make sure we get in another dessert, Pecan Pie Day is July 12th.  French Fries are honored on July 13th (appropriate since French Bastille Day is the 14th).  We go back to ice cream with National Ice Cream Day (different from July 1st which is Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day, remember). Have some pudding on Tapioca Pudding Day on the 15th.  And with all these sweets, eat some spinach on the 16th for Fresh Spinach Day.

We do another flavor of ice cream on the 17th for Peach Ice Cream Day.  And to get a little fancy, try some caviar on National Caviar Day on the 18th but I wouldn’t combined it with the other food honored on that day, Hot Dogs.  And with all this food you do need a drink now and then, so for the adults try a Daiquiri on its day the 19th. Cakes are also back on the 19th with National Raspberry Cake Day.  The 20th brings another ice cream day with National Ice Cream Soda day.  Don’t want anymore ice cream but you do want something sweet?  Switch the ice cream for a lollipop on the 20th – it’s that sweet sucker’s national day. 

And so we don’t forget a favorite ‘unofficial’ food group, July 21st is National Junk Food Day.  Remember with chips, you can’t eat just one.  July still hasn’t had enough of ice cream.  We have to honor the basic, vanilla on July 23rd. You don’t have to live south of the border to get some tequila on the 24th.  That day is National Tequila Day.  The 28th is a favorite of children of every age: National Milk Chocolate Day.

July 1st was International Chicken Wing Day.  We also need to bring it home with National Chicken Wing Day on July 29th.  If you want more of a meal, the 29th is also National Lasagna Day.  And we finish off the food month with a sweetie on the 30th, National Cheesecake Day. 

Now if you can’t find something to celebrate with food during the month of July, you are just too picky of an eater.  To the rest of us, I say “LET’S EAT!”

©2018, 2023, 2026 Cheryl Fillion