Happy 230th Birthday America!

HAPPY FOURTH EVERYONE!

I am a real sap when it comes to the Fourth of July. I can't explain it, that is just who I am. It may have started when I was 10 and America was celebrating her Bicentennial. Can that really have been 30 years ago?

My family lived in Irving, Texas at the time and around there it was a big deal. People adopted fire hydrants and painted them as patriotic characters. (Did they do this other places?) I thought that was very creative and loved to check out the different ones. We went to the Cotton Bowl to watch the fireworks display that night.

Or it may have started before that. My dad used to wake us up on July 4th with the music of John Philip Sousa blaring from the stereo. (I could not make this stuff up.) It was an interesting way to start the day.

Then again, when we moved to Camden, Arkansas, we spent may July 4ths hanging out at the Country Club. We swam, ate hot dogs, swam some more and finally watched the fireworks. We went home happy, tired and sunburned.

Mark and I still laugh about the time we went to watch the fireworks over The Ballpark at Arlington with SG and her family. Her family consisted of Rob and Kolby at the time, but she was pregnant with Rhett. We got there late, took a wrong turn and ended up in a parking lot near the railroad tracks as our viewing spot. The kids had a great time, but the adults were all a little irritated at where we ended up when we had had such great plans. It is funny now.

Maybe the thing I enjoy so much about this day is the memories it recalls.

I hope everyone enjoys their day and makes some great memories.