Happy 238th birthday, USA! Even with all our issues, I wish only the best for this wonderful country of ours. Looking good, Lady Liberty! At a mere 138 years old, you are still a beautiful symbol of this experiment in "a democracy in a republic."
Years ago, when we moved to HPNC for the first time (1994-1997), we spent one of my favorite Fourth's at the National Park that commemorates the revolutionary battle fought at Guilford Courthouse, located in Greensboro, the city that was named for the hero of that battle, Nathaeniel Greene. The Park Ranger read the entire Declaration of Independence, not just the part we typically memorized in civics class (you know..."We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.") Want to hear a moving version of the reading of the Declaration? Follow this link to NPR's traditional recording of a multitude of voices, reading one of our country's freedom documents in its entirety: http://www.npr.org/2014/07/04/328204572/reading-the-declaration-of-independence-a-tradition-continues
All those voices...all those accents! Only in America, right? Only in America. And whatever you feel about the man, I happen to agree with President Clinton: “There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.”
And what is currently right in my own, personal America, you ask? Well, the weather for one thing. It took a hurricane named Arthur to blow through the Outer Banks to bring our Piedmont some gorgeous weather in his wake. Mid-80's, low humidity, Carolina blue skies. Couldn't script a better day for the local festivities called The Uncle Sam Jam. Bands, food, and fireworks at Festival Park on Oak Hollow Lake. Sounds great! Wish we were there...
Actually, there is no "we" here in HPNC. Only a "me." The Mr. T part of our "we" is spending this Holiday weekend in Louisville with Missy M, doing the few repairs required by her buyer's inspector; she's hoping to close on the KY house in three weeks. He planned his work-week to be in Roanoke, which is his closest dealership...still 7 hours away. He got there the day before M (who couldn't leave GA until Thursday...more on that in a sec) and was able to check-off all the indoor tasks while she was driving her own version of the day-long trip. They are spending their Independence Day cleaning up the yard and gardens, dividing some irises and daylilies (hey, it's genetic, right?), and packing up the remaining "stuff" (a friend of hers took most of the staging furniture, which leaves some pantry items, towels and linens, a blow-up bed or two, and the porch and patio furniture.) They are determined to get all the stuff in two cars...and have drafted Lillie Pearl PTC, who can be transformed into a cargo wagon by removing her back seats, to help accomplish their goal. We shall see...
They will head on down to Georgia tomorrow to unload at M's new house in Lawrenceville...from one L'ville to another L'ville. She closed on it last Monday and has been getting utils hooked up, garage door installed, shades put up on the windows, etc., in the few hours she has available in the evenings after work. Her furniture arrives on the fourteenth. Speaking of work...apparently, things have gotten interesting for her at Popeyes. Oops, I will have to save that until another post. I know a secret...I know a secret...
Meanwhile...
I'm here in HPNC, dog-sitting the Drool Gang. That means, among other things, Fourth of July or not, NO FIREWORKS! Dixie and Ella Rae are both terrified of loud noises, and the absolute LAST thing I need is for either (or both!) of them to make a mad dash down Wesseck. So, while my neighbors gather at the park on this side of the lake, I'll have "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "Sergeant York" playing on TV (it's my Joan Leslie celebration, I suppose...since she is in both of these patriotic golden-oldies), probably way too loud, to cover any external noises. Not really a hardship...I would be watching regardless. And I can always turn on the Capitol Fourth...and mute the fireworks portion, I guess.
But, it is a birthday, after all. And I do love my traditions. Our traditional fare on the Fourth includes ribs, corn-on-the-cob, baked beans, potato salad, and usually watermelon. Just because it is a party of one, well...it's still the Fourth! So here's what was served (replacing the watermelon with blackberries, and adding some grilled zucchini...because that was what the garden was giving...:-)
Happy Independence Day, my fellow Americans. Celebrate!
[...and to my UK friends...we will now return to our regular posting...;-)]
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