Gary & I went up to Dad & Connie’s for the July 4th weekend. We ate like Kings and Queens the whole time, and enjoyed great weather and the serenity always on offer at their house.
Steaks and veggies on the grill
Chicken Salad Lunch
On the evening of the 4th, we went to an Independence Day celebration picnic at the home of some friends. One of the staples at this annual event is the reading of the Declaration of Independence, along with a group singing of “America the Beautiful”.
I have always marveled at how people from other countries have so much pride in their homelands, and experience a true kinship with their fellow countrymen - on holidays and at sporting events especially - but it‘s something that I think a lot of Americans simply take for granted or don‘t feel at all because we are such a diverse nation. In particular, there’s a line in the Norwegian National Anthem that translates, “Yes! We love our country!” - I think that is such a beautiful sentiment.
Maybe it’s just me, and I don’t go to enough baseball games, but that feeling, that “Proud to be an American” feeling is not a pervasive one in this country. So when a large group of people get together and sing “America the Beautiful” followed by a reading of the Declaration of Independence, it is reassuring that, in fact, there are still those who go beyond the hotdogs and coolers of beer, the staples of the generic 4th of July celebration, and remember why, exactly, we celebrate this special day. I get a lump in my throat just writing about it.
The "sponsors" of the party got reading parts, here's my Dad:
I've GOT to remember to not turn my camera to the side when taking videos! But isn't my Dad a great orator? I think so!
After dark we were treated to an impressive fireworks show which was manned by volunteer “shooters” - my Dad among them, lighting explosives with a lit cigar - rivaling the best DIY show in the land! Enough to warrant a campus fire truck on-site anyway!
We had such a nice visit!
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