I have lots of great memories about the fourth of July beginning when I was a kid. I remember having sparklers in the front yard. One Fourth of July, I organized all the neighborhood children and we decorated our bikes, trikes, and wagons and dressed in red, white and blue and paraded all around, up and down the streets. A reporter came and took our picture and our little parade made the newspaper. I grew up in Los Angeles, but I don't remember any other Fourth of July parades during that time period.
When I had my own family and we lived in Oxnard, a huge fireworks display went on at the beach. We only lived a mile away and the best place to view it was ontop of our patio roof. All the kids and hubby climbed up, when it was my turn, I just couldn't get myself up there. I hadn't realized how bad my fear of heights was until that moment. I placed a chair in the backyard and still got to see most of the fireworks, just not as great a view as what the rest of the family did.
We now live in the foothlls where fireworks are forbidden--too easy to start a fire. We used to head down the hill to Porterville and watch the fireworks at the football stadium. Now we just stay home and sometimes watch on TV.
What does still happen though, is hubby always flies our flag on every Fourth of July, and much of the rest of the time too.
And I must add, that my second daughter, Lisa, was born on July 3rd at the Port Hueneme Naval Dispensary. (It wasn't even a hospital.) Sometimes we celebrate Lisa's birth on the Fourth.I wrote about her and her birthday on my personal blog. http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/
What do you do on the Fourth of July?
Marilyn
Marilyn, I have to admit I'm a real curmudgeon about this. Not a huge fan of fireworks. I enjoy seeing a good professional display, but I've seen too many people hurt and a neighbor's house burn from amateurs setting off fireworks. Several car wrecks have resulted from cherry bombs thrown into moving cars, also. They're illegal in our city, but everyone flouts the law. Anymore, they start a week before the Fourth and last a week beyond, driving all the neighborhood dogs crazy. Poor things! Whoever thought it was a good idea to give explosives to unsupervised children for fun? Let the pros put on a safe display in each town and keep the explosives out of the hands of kids. Rant over.
ReplyDeleteLoved reading about your parade when you were a kid. I'd like to have seen it. I salute you for the Fourth, Navy brat to Navy wife.
Linda, I heard not one firecracker so everyone was being good here--at least within my hearing. There were several fires started by fire crackers in Fresno.
ReplyDeleteI barely remember that parade, but what I do remember is using red, white and blue crepe paper to decorate the spokes of all the wheels on bikes and trikes.