hello tomas-
you ask me what our independence day celebration is like.
your country has been divided and fought over for centuries...
america is only an infant by comparison, but we have remained a country,
and we stand as one of the longest democracies in history. on our
4th of july holiday, all over this country, there are some common rituals:
cooking out on the grill, getting together with friends on a hot summer afternoon,
drinking beer, eating watermelon, watching children play tag in impossibly
hot afternoon sunshine.
the fireworks grand finale is always eagerly awaited; impatient kids argue
that it IS dark enough, before dusk .. before sunset.
i went to a 4th july party at my good friends' little house on the river.
a small group, maybe 7-8 friends, and what seemed like 40 kids...
[age 2 to 12] a number really closer to 10 smiling sweaty faces with
blueberry-smeared chins. it seems the blueberries arrive
every year, right on time for this midsummer holiday.
an army of children running everywhere, THIRSTY!! jumping on the big
trampoline and spinning on the rope swing, HUNGRY!, running through the sprinkler,
begging to go down the hill to swim in the river.
JUST ONE MORE TIME PLEEESE!!!
after going swimming twice, in reality watching over little kids swimming,
another grown-up took a turn.
it takes a "village" to watch the children.
there were frozen margaritas for the big people and fresh lemonade for
the littles. pork ribs and chicken, hotdogs and hamburgers on the
grill. coleslaw, corn-on-the-cob, baked beans and 'light' bread
round out the traditional cookout feast.
in a washtub wait two big iced-down watermelons for dessert.
the deck seemed high in the trees; we could watch the river
from far above...in the shade of the treetops, the men drank beer
and talked about politics. the women got the food ready and drank
more than their share of the margaritas.
some of the young adults brought out guns and others, the fireworks.
although they are not technically legal in georgia, no one bothers with
a few on the 4th. the kids loved every bit of it - the pop-pop-pop of
small bloack-cat firecrackers on the ground - the bright sparklers waving
in the humid night air. afterward, a few guitars come out, folks gather
around and old songs echo in the darkness.
'bye bye miss american pie'
these friends built their house themselves, thirty years ago.
i have witnessed a few incarnations in the many years i have
known them. it is on a dirt road, their land slopes down to a flat
sandy area along the riverbank. they have 8 acres. over the years the
lesser trees were cut for firewood; it is now a open, hardwood forest
hillside, with plenty of shrubs, flower and food gardens around the house.
from the hilltop looking down, there is a fine sunset view up-river
from the deck.
you would like this little homestead, i think. my friend is a
carpenter by trade, but truly a jack of all trades. from what you say,
you are the same kind of working man doing all kinds of work.
you probably get together with friends the same way as we do.
it is a fine summer holiday!
so that's my story of the 4th of july.
i have no photos, just my words.
regards, joanne