Tag Archive | Independence Day

4th of JULY Plans…

I have company this 4th of July… A cousin and her husband from Tennessee…

It’s raining here… so our plans for a cook out might not happen… but, that won’t keep us from doing a few things…

We will be going to Forest Edge Winery for a wine tasting… Never been… So new to us as well as them…

We hope to catch the new Lone Ranger Movie tonight… after dinner out somewhere…

The Derby Museum probably will be our next stop… It’s located at Churchill Downs where the Kentucky Derby is held…

It is a wonderful museum with a panorama video of Derby Day… in full circle of the room…

Quite nostalgic… bringing a little quiver to my heart and pride of living in this wonderful state…

If weather permits… a trip to Huber’s Farm in Indiana… known for an abundance of fresh produce…

a petting zoo… ponds… cheese/wine store… homemade breads/pies/ice/cream… craft items

and a wonderful restaurant serving home-style portions of all of their items grown on the farm…

Now, if we do all of this… that we have planned…we will be in need of a rest day for sure…

talking , laughing and reminiscing of our childhood days…

My 4th of July Centerpiece…

Our beautiful USA Flag…”Star Spangled Banner“

Happy Fourth of July to all of my Friends and Family…

A time to remember our Independence and be grateful to all who have served our country in times of Peace and War!

Things Have Changed… But… We still Have Our Freedom!

Jul5

Memory…

We always celebrated the 4th of July by a picnic … later it became cookouts… We would pack a real wicker picnic basket with tasty homemade food… like fried chicken… macaroni salad… sliced tomatoes… baked beans… maybe some potato chips… and soft drinks put on ice in a big metal tub… cookies or a cake that was baked in the pan where it could be easily transported …later the menu became grilled hot dogs… hamburgers… potato salad… baked beans… some kind of pasta salad… chips/dip… slaw… and whatever new dessert someone wants to try…

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake I baked for cookout…

A Celebration cake to add to our festivities…

ice in a cooler and 2 liter soft drinks and “red solo cups” … A blanket or two thrown in for sitting on the grass … this was extra seating besides the wooden picnic tables found at every park and even along the roads at pullover points… Now we have a couple of those umbrella type chairs that we keep in the trunk in case we need them… that unfold and even have cup holders built-in… We had concrete porches and yards to sit in… and now everyone has a deck… made of treated lumber… with umbrella tables and chairs in bright colors… Pools were at High Schools or parks and now are in most backyards…

Things have changed… but, really not that much… and it seems even our younger generation knows why we celebrate Independence Day…or the 4th of July…

My grandson made a poster to decorate for the “cookout” and swim party his parents were having…

His idea… and my collaboration… Fireworks were bought with the knowledge that if it was too dry… they would be put on hold for another time… “That’s OK”, he said… with a wishful hope in his voice that they could be lit to brighten the sky when dark came… Goodies were fixed to take… the pool was ready… friends and family had been invited and many were coming…

Wickett…the grandkids puppy …sitting in my lap…

even the pets were getting in on the action…Of course my poor baby… my cat, Jill… just runs and hides as soon as the fireworks … start popping… Too much for her!…

Don’t you love the Parrot made out of a tire…

We talk…we swim… we “oo and aah “over the little ones in the pool… we eat and drink… commenting on how everything tastes so good… We fight a few flys that are hungry and thirsty too it seems… we bask in the sun… and then later head for the air conditioning of the house where we used to just find a shady spot under a tree…

Son basking in sun even after grilling our hotdogs and hamburgers…

I hear a young man thanking my husband for his service in the military when he finds out he was in Vietnam… I thought that was such a nice gesture… and was a fitting way to end our 4th of July celebration…

My oldest Granddaughter squinting because sun is so bright and she always smiles so big…

Young and old mingled together and thankful for the freedom of having a get together with friends and family… Hope you had a good one too!

Flags, No Fireworks and the Fourth of July (seniledenial.wordpress.com)
Happy Fourth of July! (thingskaylikes.wordpress.com)
Fourth of July Potato Salad (laurensalisbury.wordpress.com)

“Let Freedom Ring!”

Jul4

Image via Wikipedia

When I think of the 4th of July …it instantly brings to mind of all the men and women who have been in a military service of any kind…I think of my dad in the NAVY …joined later in life …a little older than some of his comrads…but, probably a little wiser…He already had a family…a wife, two step-children and 2 small children of his own…Did he want to go into the service…I doubt it…but, I believe he felt it was his duty for whatever reason…Maybe his children and wife were the reason…He wanted our USA to be able to defend itself and keep the heritage of his country bright for many years to come…And this means “Letting Freedom Ring” …across the land that our forefathers paid dearly for…He was probably not a hero that is portrayed by many…but, I see him as one …because I know it was a sacrifice for him to leave his home for his designated post…

My husband and I had just met in September, when he was issued orders to leave for Viet Nam …by March 1st…Did he want to leave me…NO!…Did he want to leave his family …Mom, brothers and sisters? NO!…but, when he was deployed… he went…He had to endure many things in a country he hardly knew…Seeing many things that have brought about nightmares at times…Doing things he never thought he would be capable of doing…Learning about what facing your enemies inside and out is all about…Carrying home in their mind… pictures of things so bad …that they hold it inside until they can hold it no more…and as his wife…seeing the changes and heartache that directs his reasoning and protectiveness of the ones he loves…Yes, we need to celebrate! …To remember what is entailed to reach Freedom and Peace for the country and people who live here…God Bless Our Country and God Bless the Service Men/Women that have made it possible for us to live in a land of FREEDOM!

“My Kids!”…

Of course my kids were not at school during July…It was summer break …but, our kids did know what the 4th of July meant…You could ask them,”Who is the President of the United States?” …and they could tell you…”When is Independence Day?”…and they could tell you…”What are the names of the military services?” …and they could tell you…We taught them to honor our country through saying ,”The Pledge of Allegiance“ to our wonderful red, white and blue flag …We talked of the important people who were a part of making and keeping our country free…and writing the laws that our country lives by…When 9-11 was broadcasted on the television at school we all had our eyes and ear strained to that news…

Our school name was “Thomas Jefferson Middle School”…so of course they knew about “Thomas Jefferson” …and our mascot was “The Patriots” …So as you can see our special students were even more special in that they had learned some basics about how our country came to be and what it took to keep it that way…We had a Veterans Day Program each year …Many Veterans came to our school to be honored with certificates and a flag …Our little “Patriot Bake Shop” baked and decorated a huge cake to honor them for their service … We depicted all the services of the military with little pictures …One as important as the other… It was quite moving to see all of those “Freedom Fighters” encircling our gym …side by side …knowing what each had contributed to keep the Bell of Freedom Ringing!