July 04th, 2022

​Happy Independence Day
 
There are movies that I enjoy watching on this day. Oddly enough, my first is The Time of Their Lives with Abbot and Costello. Costello is a ghost from the revolutionary war and Abbot is a modern day (well 1940’s modern lol)  psychiatrist trying to correct the wrongs of his traitor ancestor. It’s quite entertaining and not as slapstick as most of their work.
 
Next is the musical 1776. I love the portrayal of John Adams and his wife Abigail. And of course Jefferson and his wife are too cute for words, though historically inaccurate.
 
Lastly, the modern classic – Independence Day. The only challenge is the romance author in me. The storyteller who loves her happily ever after has never understood—nor liked—why they had to kill off the first lady. (If you’ve never watched the 1996 movie I apologize for the spoiler). There was absolutely no difference in the plot, storyline, or purpose of the movie affected by her survival or death – stupid scene. I do however love so many of the characters and their one line deliveries, especially Judd Hirsch. I think he may be my favorite character of all!
 
Meanwhile, today we’re having a quiet family day while I’m at my daughter’s. Usually we have a pool day at my house followed by the fireworks across the street. It was so funny the first year we moved into our home. We were visiting friends about 20 minutes away and drove him as dusk hit. We were halfway when I spotted a lovely fireworks show and told hubby we should follow it. He was tired after playing water volleyball all afternoon and just wanted to go home. I was kind of mopey watching the fireworks, but as we got closer to our house we also seemed to get closer to the fireworks show. By the time we pulled into the driveway, as Naomi Judd once said, “Well slap the dog and spit in the fire.”  Color me surprised to discover not only were the fireworks close – they were literally across the street. So now every year we all sit in our back yard and watch the 20 or so minute show with easy access to chairs, beverages, snacks and the other comforts of an air conditioned home. I am so spoiled! LOL.   
 
And of course, I’m always pleased to hear Lee Greenwood’s song God Bless the USA. Every national holiday where we tend to spend the day gathering, eating, and playing with friends and family, I’m thankful for the talented people who one way or another remind us of what the holidays are truly about.  Even though so many men lost their lives hundreds of years ago, I can’t imagine living anywhere except in the country those early leaders envisioned. Well, maybe I wouldn’t mind a summer home in the South of France, but that’s a post for another day, lol.
 
So, how are you celebrating our countries declaration of independence?

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