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

 

 

Summer Fun

I was reminded recently of an earlier blog about the summer and I thought it might be good to repeat the message since many of our summer plans have been changed due to the pandemic. 

I like the summer.  I have always had jobs as an adult where my schedule changes and becomes more relaxed during the summer months so it feels like the summer vacation I had as a child.  I sort of turn into a child during the summer.  All I want to do is play and right now that is probably our best medicine.  

What happens to me this time of year is I go back in time.  I get cravings for those ice pops.  You know, the sugar and syrup concoctions in the plastic tube that you stick in the freezer.  I know they have no nutritional value whatsoever but I want them. I want inflatable water toys.  I gaze lovingly at sand pails and shovels.

Think about being a child in the summer.   No homework, no classes, no heavy clothing.  You didn't have to worry about getting dirty.  In the summer, it was expected that you get dirty.  If you were one who went to camp, then there was adventure or at least arts and crafts.  There were ghost stories over an open fire.  There were smores (my latest addiction) to get gooey in your hands.  

Some countries have extended vacations for everyone, not just the school age kids.  And when you think about it, it is not a bad idea.  A break from all responsibility adds a bit of balance to the workaholic thinking our world is in now. It allows us to decompress. That helps the blood pressure and the stress level lower. Unfortunately this is not something we all can do.

So this summer particularly with stay at home orders and social distancing  regress to the child you used to be around this time of year, indulge yourself.  Buy some bottles of bubbles (one for each member of the family) and drive your neighbors crazy with hundreds of bubbles floating from your yard.  Get those ice pops and have one while you are doing the bills.  A purple tongue can make anything easier.  Go buy a pail and shovel and build a mud castle in your potting soil (remember you are supposed to get dirty).  and if there are no fireworks in your community for the 4^th of July, buy glow sticks and light up your yard (that is my plan for this year).

Indulge in some summer play.  It will be real fun to do with your children (think of the glee they might experience with a Mom or Dad who has a purple tongue).  Just enjoy yourself.

©2020 Cheryl E. Fillion

 

 

Play - Summertime

This week we celebrate the summer solstice when there is the most daylight.  Now according to store displays and school schedules, summer has been around for about a month. No matter which calendar you go by, this is also the time of year when I most want to be a child.

Summer vacation - there was nothing like it.  The mosquitoes, the sunburn, the boredom.  No wait, wrong train of thought here.  No, I am thinking the watermelon, the lemonade,  swimming and sand castles.

I walk down the aisle at any store and see dozens of toys for the pool.  I saw these long stryofoam tubes with animal heads on it the other day.  I wanted one. No, I don't have a pool (although I am tempted to get an inflatable one for those July and August days coming up.)  But it's summer and it's a toy so I wanted it.

This is what happens to me this time of year.  I go back in time.  I get cravings for those ice pops.  You know, the sugar and syrup concoctions in the plastic tube that you stick in the freezer.  I know they have no nutritional value whatsoever but I want them. I want inflatable water toys.  I gaze lovingly at sand pails and shovels.

Think about being a child in the summer.   No homework, no classes, no heavy clothing.  You didn't have to worry about getting dirty.  In the summer, it was expected that you get dirty.  If you were one who went to camp, then there was adventure or at least arts and crafts.  There were ghost stories over an open fire.  There were smores (my latest addiction) to get gooey in your hands.  

Some countries have extended vacations for everyone, not just the school age kids.  And when you think about it, it is not a bad idea.  A break from all responsibility adds a bit of balance to the workaholic thinking our world is in now. It allows us to decompress. That helps the blood pressure and the stress level lower. Unfortunately this is not something we all can do.

So, if you are like me and regress to a child around this time of year, indulge yourself.  Buy an inflatable toy and run through the sprinkler with it. Yeah, you'd look silly but who cares.  Tell the neighbors you're testing it for a consumer survey on water resistance.  Get those ice pops and have one while you are doing the bills.  A purple tongue can make anything easier.  Go buy a pail and shovel and build a mud castle in your potting soil (remember you are supposed to get dirty).

It's summertime -- go be a kid!!

© 2017 – Cheryl Fillion

Buying at a Market or Craft sale

Last week I wrote about selling at a market or craft sale.  This week I would like to give some ideas about being a customer of a market or craft sale.

If the craft sale is big and you will be doing a lot of walking, forget fashion.  Dress comfortably.  And if the sale is in the summer, dress cool.  Remember to wear shoes meant for walking.

If you are going to be there a while especially in the summer, bring something to drink.  Make sure it has a cover on it, so it doesn’t spill on anyone.  And ask before you put a drink on a vendor table.  The last thing you want to do is have your sticky sweet drink spill all over a vendor’s product, especially product that cannot easily be cleaned like fiber or fabric. Remember this product is the livelihood of the artist.

Know that not all vendors will have credit card capacity, so if you are planning on buying something expensive or a lot of items, bring enough cash and maybe your checkbook (many vendors will accept checks if they cannot do credit or debit cards.). And remember to bring small bills.  Most vendors will have enough cash on hand to make change but if you hand them a $100 bill and you are purchasing something for $5 or $10 that could wipe out their available cash.

If you have children with you, watch out for little fingers.  Lots of things craft vendors sell are bright, shiny and colorful; so tempting for little eyes to see and little fingers to grab.  And this is too where you want to watch for sticky fingers.  One little boy at my craft booth thought the fleece fish toys (for cats) were nice.  So nice, he took every one of them out of the basket they were displayed in.  When his mother asked what he was doing, his answer: “Going fishing”.  His response was cute, even to me the vendor,  but not if he had chocolate ice cream all over his fishing fingers.

The same idea goes if you bring your dog to the market, watch them as well.  Small shiny colorful items can look like food to them.  One gulp and you are on your way to the emergency vet. And don’t blame the vendor; it is not their fault they are selling something attractive to your pet.  Also remember that not everyone loves your pet as much as you do.  You will find people, including vendors, who will avoid your dog’s friendliness.  Maybe they have had a bad encounter with a dog so they are afraid or maybe, and most importantly, they are allergic.  I like dogs and cats but get me near one and I start sneezing and wheezing.

Remember if buying at a craft market that you are not just buying the material in the craft or art work but the labor as well.  Yes, artists and craftspeople enjoy, even love, what they do but they are also trying to pay the bills.  You might be able to buy a similar item in a store but it will be machine manufactured not hand crafted.  I will admit I am biased when I say; hand crafted is much more valuable.

If you know how to do a particular craft, know that not all people do things the same way. Don’t consider a knitted shawl, for example, is inferior just because an artist uses a different stitch or yarn than what you would use. So in other words, don’t criticize the artist’s work.

Selling at a market isn’t easy for the vendor but it makes it worth it when you, the buyer, want something hand crafted and one of a kind. So if you get a chance, go shop at a market. And thank they for the work they do.

©2017  Cheryl Fillion