Happy Birthday, America. 233 years old and still going strong – most days. I love this holiday because I’m a sap for the flag and the “Star Spangled Banner” and I love the fireworks and parades and all the stuff that goes with the day.
We spent a fairly mild day today compared to some but had a great time. We started the day with breakfast at Tammy and Steve’s where Steve showcased his culinary skills with cappuccino and made-from-scratch pancakes (both regular and raw sugar/pecan ones). Yummy! Then Ralph and I took the girls to the Marshfield Parade which is the quintessential small-town parade on the 4th. We went last year and she mentioned that the parade this year was shorter (only lasted 1 1/2 hours) and I figure that was because it’s not an election year and we didn’t have to see 30 minutes of politicians in the parade!
The girls loved sitting on a blanket at the curb and watching the whole shebang which began with the high school band playing “You’re a Grand Ole Flag” – one of my favorites. There were tons of floats, old cars and tractors, kids on bicycles – and most of them threw candy at the crowd. For Julia and Lydia, the thrill was in the gathering and not the eating of the candy – in fact, most of it will probably be thrown away. One smart dentist even passed out toothbrushes! But the highlight for the girls was seeing their Papa Burl on his mini motorcycle with the Shrine Cruisers. 
The parade ended on a high note when the horses came by and one of them stopped and emptied his bladder of at least a few gallons! Julia and Lydia both thought that was pretty funny and since it was starting to rain, it seemed an opportune time to head for the car. Of course that was the first thing she told her dad about the parade! At least Lydia was kind enough to mention her Papa Burl!
After lunch Ralph, Tammy and I headed for the mall to partake in the most American sport there is – shopping! I wanted to look for a a new swim suit and actually found one that all three of us liked. Only problem was that by time I got home, it had cooled off a bit and with our pool a nasty shade of green, we opted for a walk with the dog instead of swimming.
Steve was in true chef mode today and offered to cook dinner so we cleaned out our refrigerator and provided him with lettuce, a couple of pork loins, some ground chuck and potatoes fresh from a neighbor’s garden. He added to those ingredients and by time when we sat down to eat, we feasted on burgers topped with white American cheese or pork loins, yummy potato salad made with a recipe from the 1966 Better Homes & Gardens cookbook and tossed salad. For dessert, Ralph had made a key lime pie that we were too full to eat last night so we had that plus homemade vanilla frozen custard that Steve made – again with a recipe from the same BH&G cookbook! Since it’s un-American to choose between key lime pie and homemade ice cream, we all did our patriotic duty and had some of each.
Julia really wanted to see fireworks tonight but we knew the display that’s visible from our yard wouldn’t start until late and she and her sister both needed to get to bed – so Ralph and I stood in the yard and enjoyed the entertainment in the sky while Mulligan ran around the yard and barked. Poor puppy!
The house is quiet now and the neighbors seem to have finally blown up all their disposable income for the weekend. Our bags are packed and we hope to be on the road by 8:00 tomorrow morning. In fact, we’ll probably follow Ralph and her crew out the driveway as Blair needs to be back to see a patient tomorrow afternoon.
A part of me is already homesick for Mulligan and I’m wondering if I really can make it being gone a month – although we have agreed that if we get to that point where we’re ready to come home, we can do it.
We’ll take this trip one day at a time and enjoy the journey. Destination tomorrow: Sioux Falls, SD – approximately 530 miles away. After we leave Kansas City, it will be all new territory for me.
The blog will be my trip diary so come along with me for what will hopefully be a great adventure!
