Happy July 4th

I love the 4th of July. To me it is my second favorite holiday, right after Christmas.

One reason I like it is that for the last few years my brother throws a big 4th of July party on the 3rd and to me it is the epitome of a Norman Rockwell family celebration.

About ten years ago mr brother, Mike bought a house in the subdivision our family first moved to in 1973 which coincidentally was on July 3rd. In fact on our second day in our new home we went around the corner and down the street to the lake where there was a 4th of July picnic and fireworks. This was the only year the subdivision ever did this as the community quickly became too large.

Fast forward 25+ years and my brother bought a home in our old neighborhood just two doors down from that lake. Now it’s my brother who is throwing a 4th of July party on the 3rd. For the past few years they have rented out the community beach for their big party. And it is big. The last time I looked 81 people were definitely coming including 29 kids! Another 20-30 still hadn’t replied but most of those will show up plus if anyone from the subdivision stops by they are absorbed into the party even if they weren’t invited.

Mike and Candy throw a true summer beach party. They rent out one of those bouncy places for the younger kids, have lots of other outdoor games and balls plus people bring boats for tubing and water skiing. So the kids of all ages have something to do - even if it is simply giggling and talking to the cute boys which my eldest niece is getting proficient at - much to her parents chagrin.

When the families arrive, the men stand around the grills talking to my brother as he flips the burgers while Candy directs the women who are bringing mouth watering side dishes of pasta or fruit and delicious deserts. The simplicity of the food is another reason I love this holiday. Oh sure you could spend hours making some fancy pasta dish or doing those deviled egg thingies but people are happy with burgers and store bought potato salad and coleslaw. Or at least I am happy with it!

When the kids get hungry they swarm the tables then back to the lake or games again. Once the food is out the adults sit back in beach chairs sipping whatever cold drink they brought in their coolers. And that is pretty much most of the party - sitting, relaxing, enjoying the hot evening, catching up with people you only see at these parties, watching the kids have fun and eating too much. Ain’t it wonderful?

But it can’t be the 4th, even on the 3rd without fireworks. A nearby town has their big fireworks display on the 3rd. Lucky for us, if we stand on the dock or move our chairs to the edge of the lake we have a nearly perfect view of the professional fireworks. The only bad part is that men have to be men and play with fireworks on their own. Frequently my brother will have bought some stuff or some of the other men will have something so after the official fireworks we have the unofficial fireworks. The men set off their stuff while the women hold their breaths and check to make sure the kids stay far away.

Afterwards, everyone pitches in to clean up then most go home while a core group head back to my brother’s house where kids jump in the pool and the adults enjoy the air conditioning, soft couches and cold drinks, and not necessarily in that order. All in all it is a wonderful July 4th on the 3rd!

After saying all this, I can’t go this year. After my recent hospitalization and surgeries I am still a bit shaky when I walk. Even with my cane, I know I would be nervous walking on the grass and sand especially with all the kids running around. I did ask my wound care nurse if I could go swimming and was emphatically told no; not in a pool and definitely not in a lake. As I still have an open wound healing on my leg she would prefer if I stayed far away from lakes, dirt, sand and anything that could infect it. So that pretty much rules out going this year.

Instead I will have the kind of 4th that I use to have before my brother’s party. Tomorrow I have a therapeutic massage which I hope works or at least feels good. I specifically made it for 11:30 because across the street is a take out Chinese place. After my appointment I will load up on Chinese food for the weekend. Ok my food choice may not seem appropriate but I make up for that with my love of patriotic music. I am a sucker for a Sousa march and this is the last reason I love this holiday. I even programmed my new phone’s ring to be the Star Spangled Banner!

So the morning of the 4th I will watch the Williams sisters play at Wimbledon and hopefully in the afternoon a station will have Stars and Stripes, the old movie about Sousa or the classic Yankee Doodle Dandy. In the evening after my lo mein I will watch any and every fireworks display on TV and the more patriotic songs, the better. I am sorry to miss Mike’s party but I think I will have a grand ol’ time at home. I hope you do, too.

Happy Independence Day!