When I still taught, the 4th was a turning point of the summer, when it truly felt like I was on vacation. As the saying goes, for teachers June is Friday night with the relief from a stressful week/year, July is Saturday, the true part of the break, and August is Sunday, when all you can focus on is what you need to accomplish before school begins in September. Oh, I still tried to relax and enjoy August(my birthday month), but the To Do lists kept growing, and dates and deadlines were always at the back of my mind. Perhaps it's because I'm signed up for some trips, or it could be that I'm enjoying the flexibility, the extra walking, the time to read, the outings with John, but I'm finally CONTENT to be retired. I'm comfortable with my own schedule, and mostly busy enough not to fret about being a lazy slug! :)
Since Alison and her boyfriend were flying to Texas(then driving to New Mexico) for his grandmother's funeral on the 4th, they asked if we could get together on the 3rd. I had lots of food already, it's legal to light off fireworks in my area, so why not? I don't know how much they spent on fireworks, but as I've already mentioned to Alison, "You won't have a job in two weeks. You're going to need to budget!" That has never been her strong suit...
This is probably my favorite photo that I captured. They had all sorts of mortars and artillery shells, which sound like rockets launching, but then turn into beauty.
I love the flowering ones!
I even made a patriotic dessert of strawberry/blueberry shortcake. Don't get me started on our President's military parade though, OK? I identify as a lifelong American, but not always a proud one. Enough said.
On a brighter note, memes like this about a certain person's speech have made me howl ALL DAY.
Seriously, I just can't get enough!
I bought this shirt at the Gettysburg Harley Davidson store when Alison was in a gymnastics championship 13 years ago! I recently found a drawerful of old treasures tee-shirts, so I chose this ancient one to wear on the actual holiday. It even has a hole in the armpit. ;) A couple of longtime friends and John came over; we had a wonderful time, delicious food, and interesting conversations. We played bocce(I lost) just like we used to on this holiday. The fireworks around us were spectacular...and FREE. The more I'm around John, the more fortunate I feel that he is my boyfriend! (a silly word though, isn't it?) Yet being with old friends who knew me from the beginning of my relationship with Patt 40 years ago, and a newish guy, it sometimes felt like a surreal juxtaposition of my past and present. We did all the same activities, but as different people, living changed lives. C'est la vie? We look back, we mourn for what was, and then we move on. Change, just like sh*t happens.
