A Year of Blogging: July 1, 2011

Well, this little experiment has made it to the halfway point. We are through 6 months, with only 6 left to go in the year. We've flipped up the calendar to another month. So what does July hold? July is National Blueberry month. That makes sense, it's the perfect time of year to find fresh blueberries. I like blueberry things: blueberry pie, blueberry muffins, blueberry cobbler. I'm always surprised though when I eat fresh blueberries, they are a little more tart than I expect. So I guess I like blueberries, as long as they are in something sweet! July is also Anti-Boredom Month. In New York, school ends in late June. I graduated from high school on June 24 (the same date the class of 2011 graduated). So after about two weeks into summer vacation, the cries of 'Mom, I'm bored' start- which puts it in July. You've already slept in, played with your friends, gone on vacation, and now what? Summer stretches in front of you in a series of hot days filled with- nothing. There were things that kept us from getting bored. Vacation Bible School took up a week. Our town had two vacation Bible Schools- there was the First Baptist VBS and the Community VBS, which our Catholic church participated in. They were deliberately held on different weeks- to keep the boredom away a little longer. When we were teenagers, we taught at the Community VBS during the day, then went to the teen bible club at night. I loved the teen group. We went all year to the teen group, and in the summer was the best. After bible study, we played volleyball in the backyard. We were walking distance from home- our backyard backs up to the church's backyard (the church's backyard used to be part of our backyard, years ago). We played volleyball for hours, until Mom stepped outside and waved for us to come home. We also babysat, worked on crafts, and ran errands for our elderly neighbors. And if we were still bored, well, Mom had a cure for that: it was called chores. Each morning before she left for work, she made out a list of chores for us. If the chores were not done by the time Mom came home, we got in trouble. One of my chores was hanging the laundry out in the morning, and taking it down and folding it (and putting it away) in the afternoon. I usually waited until about 4:00 to take it down, unless I saw a thunderstorm rolling in (then I'd go earlier). I knew how much time I had to get the laundry down, folded, and put away before Mom got home from work. Except the night she got home early, and caught me walking out of the house with the laundry basket in my hand! Apparently, July is also thought to be an unlucky month for weddings. Tell that to all the people who got married on July 7, 2007. I wondered why July was considered unlucky, and found this link with a couple of cute rhymes. But I didn't find any reason, other than superstition. So I guess, if you are a superstitious person, avoid getting married in July. July is National Cell Phone Courtesy month. There's a month we could use! People seem to lose any sense of decorum or manners that they ever had as soon as the cell phone is to their ear. This is a pet peeve of mine, and I know it is of others. I've been in the bank and had the teller call 'next' and the person in front of me, that next person, tells the teller to hold on a minute because they are on their cell phone. I've also had people continue their conversation and step up to the counter to conduct their business, all the while carrying on to the person on their cell phone about the details of their life none of us need to know. People talk on cell phones in restrooms (really??? Phones NEVER belong in restrooms. You either put the phone down, or tell the person you will call them back. Aside from the threat that you might drop the phone in the toilet and ruin it, there is also the fact that no one needs to know *these* details of your life either). People sit in doctor's offices, next to the 'no cell phones' sign, gabbing away. I know so much more about complete strangers lives than I ever cared to. And the worst- I'll be talking to a client at work on the phone, and they put me on hold and pick up their cell phone and proceed to talk to the person on the other end. I have to say, I give them a minute to tell the other person 'let me call you back' or 'hang on, I'm on another call'. But if they give the other call priority, they meet the dial tone from my call. After all, my time is every minute as valuable as theirs. I often have other lines ringing in while I'm on the phone, but I let it go to voicemail if I'm on another call. This is why voicemail was invented- you do not have to answer every single phone call! July seems to be a month of independence. We start on July 1 with Canada Day. Canada Day celebrates Canada. It is similar to July 4 in the US, in that it celebrates a form of independence. Canada is still part of the British crown, but they became self-governing on July 1, 1867. Then of course, the USA's July 4th, or Independence Day. July 9 is Independence Day in Argentina. July 14 is Bastille Day (France). While July may be unlucky for marriages, it seems to be a good month for independence! Celebrate all that independence with hot dogs and ice cream- two more 'monthly' celebrations for July. With all the things to celebrate and all the great food to eat- there's no reason anyone should be bored!