HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!!

The 4th of July... and what it means to me...

SUMMERTIME.... as in the PEAK of summer

HOT HOT HOT SUNSHINE

Flags flying/waving

Parades

Festivals on Main street

Bands playing with lots of fife and drums

Baseball

Pool time... swimming (with those wonderful smells of  chlorine and coppertone sun tan lotion in the air)... boating... going to the lake... skiing... splashing... tubing

Family and/or friends gathering to celebrate the long weekend and the holiday

Cookouts (good ole American standards of hamburgers, hotdogs... aka weenies..., ribs, potato salad, watermelon, apple pie)

Homemade ice cream.... and taking turns doing the churning... the old fashion crank style way!

Laughter/Giggles

Fireflies... watching them... catching them and keeping them in an old mayonnaise jar... using them as a night light and then releasing them in the morning

Fire crackers... ALL day long!!!

Sparklers... including a burnt finger or two!!!  those dang metal sticks get pretty hot!

Americana clothing being worn by everyone, everywhere

Flip flops

Going to the park to watch the fireworks displays while laying on blankets or sitting in camping chairs

and the finale of all the OOOHHS and AHHHHSS with each explosion of light bursts while watching fireworks being set off

Kissing under the moon

We Americans are very blessed to be living in a free country for 235 years!... celebrate it with all the charming traditions of the day... fly your flag, beat your drums, set off your firecrackers, have a cookout... and enjoy spending the day with who you are with!