What Today Means To Me

Where liberty dwells, there is my country. ~Benjamin Franklin

Originally I had posted a meme for Independence day until a few events took place and I realized that this is a holiday that holds a lot of fond memories for me…and my children.

First I had to make the Tomato Salad for today’s extravaganza at my mother’s house. My daughters go to my mother’s house every day because Dude works from home and since I’m sick so much I sleep a lot. Apparently Teenie and my mother have been planning this Fourth of July party for the past several weeks complete with party favors, Statue of Liberty replica and Uncle Sam piñata.

From what I understand there will be a lot of folks attending the party so I’ve loaded up on anti-nausea and pain medicine so that I’ll be able to persevere…and act sociable. Plus my mother always has good food and I made the Tomato Salad…

The recipe is so simple. Two pints of cherry tomatoes cut in halves. An 8 ounce block of mozzarella cut into small cubes. Fresh basil…as much as you want. Some olive oil, some balsamic vinegar. And the key ingredient is Jane’s Krazy Mixed Up Salt, which is sold in a lot of supermarkets. I LOVE THE STUFF!

And no, they did not pay me for an endorsement or provide me with free salt.

Moving on…

As I was making the salad Teenie gave me an envelope which contained this picture…

She is the sweetest thing and reminds me that no matter what holiday we may be celebrating it’s special to her and she makes sure it’s special for everyone else. Teenie made her sister a lizard that was colored red, white and blue because Cam loves lizards.

With Teenie all decked out in her patriotic t-shirt, making sure that we are all decked out in patriotic garb I’m reminded of all the parades I’ve been in and to wearing the same kind of garb.

There was the bicentennial parade in 1976 when our country celebrated it’s 200th birthday and I got to ride on a float dressed like I was from 1776.  I was only 9 years old but I still remember how exciting it was and how proud our country was to celebrate 200 years of freedom.

I remember the year I dressed up Sister D as a baby freedom princess, decorated her wagon and pulled her in the parade.  I think she was only two but we got our picture in the paper.

Then there were a couple of years as a child were I decorated my bike with as much red, white and blue as possible…to cover up the fact that it was BRIGHT ORANGE…so that I could ride with the bike brigade in the parade.  Back then it was all about getting to the end of the parade to win a prize and get some ice cream.   Good times.

I continued to take my children to that same parade when they were very young.  For them it was about seeing the fire trucks, floats and hearing the marching bands.  Most important it was about the candy the fire trucks and floats would throw to them.  They would try to collect as much as possible.

One year we tried to stop Teenie from eating candy but every time we looked she had a piece in her mouth.  As young parents we didn’t think eating candy for one day could hurt too much.  After all she was only three and she ate well at other meals.

We let her eat her entire bag of collected candy from the parade and in about three hours it was all gone.  When it was time to go to the fireworks several hours later Teenie had nothing else to eat other than candy.  Dude put Teenie in the car to go to the fireworks and she threw up all over his car.

Lesson learned:  don’t let three year olds eat an entire bag of parade candy at one sitting on a hot day because they WILL barf.

Today I wish that I had energy to take the girls to the parade and go to the party but it would mean driving an hour to my dad’s house and then an hour back home for my mom’s.  I’m grateful that I have very understanding children who are content to spend the morning with me.  I’m also thankful for a child who understands what freedom and Independence Day actually means and shares it with her family through pictures and stories.

To my American friends…Happy Independence Day.