Today is the Fourth of July
It'll be a quiet one for me.
I remember some pretty doggone good ones from the past, though.
When I was a child and Mom and I were living with my grandparents, the whole gang (aunts and uncles included) would gather on the front porch, a great-uncle rolling lemons to get the most juice out of them. He was in charge of making a churn full of sweet lemonade.
If we didn't have enough milk, my aunt would scurry out to the barn with a bucket, milk ole Bessie, come back to the kitchen and strain it. It was then mixed with all sorts of yummy stuff and poured into the crank style freezer. Somebody would have had to make a trip into town to get ice. There just isn't anything better than sitting there waiting in anticipation while a grown-up turns the crank until it won't hardly turn and you know that ice cream is ready. No pictures made of that back then but here is one of our grandson helping hubby and my son make some ice cream back in the 1970s.
When we lived on Midway Island, as small a place as that was, we put on a humdinger of a parade... floats, marchers, music, a flatbed with a huge home-crafted gooney bird on it. And, there were games on the beach and all sorts of stuff.
In Annapolis the hubby and I took the children up to the fourth floor balcony to watch the firework. Scared the beegeebees out of the dog but we loved it.
There are the times Hubby and I flew to New York to see our married daughter and there would be tons of country club members and their guests out on the golf course where everyone was sitting on these blankets that the club provided. And, a scrumptious buffet under a tent... and the world-class fireworks display.
But, today... it'll be a quiet one for me. I may hear a few booms from far-away fireworks and I might see a few explosions of color if they shoot high enough to be seen over the treetops. I'll get an ice-cream bar out of the freezer. No lemons so no lemonade.
Hey, this is sounding pathetic and I surely don't mean for it too. I am thrilled to be in my little apartment, watching some fourth of July on tv and then I'll go to bed, happy in the fact that I have seen another celebration of the independence of our country.
Happy 4th Everyone
It'll be a quiet one for me.
I remember some pretty doggone good ones from the past, though.
When I was a child and Mom and I were living with my grandparents, the whole gang (aunts and uncles included) would gather on the front porch, a great-uncle rolling lemons to get the most juice out of them. He was in charge of making a churn full of sweet lemonade.
If we didn't have enough milk, my aunt would scurry out to the barn with a bucket, milk ole Bessie, come back to the kitchen and strain it. It was then mixed with all sorts of yummy stuff and poured into the crank style freezer. Somebody would have had to make a trip into town to get ice. There just isn't anything better than sitting there waiting in anticipation while a grown-up turns the crank until it won't hardly turn and you know that ice cream is ready. No pictures made of that back then but here is one of our grandson helping hubby and my son make some ice cream back in the 1970s.
When we lived on Midway Island, as small a place as that was, we put on a humdinger of a parade... floats, marchers, music, a flatbed with a huge home-crafted gooney bird on it. And, there were games on the beach and all sorts of stuff.
In Annapolis the hubby and I took the children up to the fourth floor balcony to watch the firework. Scared the beegeebees out of the dog but we loved it.
There are the times Hubby and I flew to New York to see our married daughter and there would be tons of country club members and their guests out on the golf course where everyone was sitting on these blankets that the club provided. And, a scrumptious buffet under a tent... and the world-class fireworks display.
But, today... it'll be a quiet one for me. I may hear a few booms from far-away fireworks and I might see a few explosions of color if they shoot high enough to be seen over the treetops. I'll get an ice-cream bar out of the freezer. No lemons so no lemonade.
Hey, this is sounding pathetic and I surely don't mean for it too. I am thrilled to be in my little apartment, watching some fourth of July on tv and then I'll go to bed, happy in the fact that I have seen another celebration of the independence of our country.
Happy 4th Everyone
Well I will be right along with you and also remembering the wonderful ones in our youth. I lived on a private lake and we spent the day in competitive games, lots of great food and almost professional fireworks in the evening. A friend of mine lives on that same lake and says they do nothing anymore--nothing. Kinda sad.
ReplyDeleteWe have our flags out and the neighborhood has a decorated car, bike, and walkers parade in the morning on the 4th. Then everyone heads over to a gathering place for hot dogs and ice-cream, etc. We watch the parade from our front lawn, wave as they go by - but no longer go down to the gathering. It's too hot to walk over there and the kids (only younger son and his family close by these days) come over for hamburgers and ice-cream later. So... not a big celebration, but nice. (Used to be that we celebrated my birthday on the 4th with a picnic out on the lake when I was growing up - my birthday being the 6th)
ReplyDeleteWe have bunting on the porch and it looks like the fireworks will be rained out tonight. Thanks for sharing your memories. I love the photo of the old crank ice cream freezer. My grandparents had one and i have memories of licking the paddles when it was done. The paddles always tasted better than the ice cream in a bowl!
ReplyDeleteNot as many fireworks as usual at our daughter's and son- in -law's place at the lake. Although, the lake was lit up with red flares all the way as far as we could see. It was very dark and so beautiful! God bless us until next year.
ReplyDeleteIt was such a quiet one for us too. Happy Belated Fourth, Mom!
ReplyDelete