The 4th of July has always been my favorite holiday. This year was very special because I was able to share it with my girls. We started out with our annual lunch at Just Like Grandma's in Osakis. This is a tradition that started when they were young girls, and we would go with my mother. Now we are bringing their children.
It was a hot weekend so we all went to Latoka Beach which is another spot that I used to take them as children. On Sunday evening we took Melody to the fairgrounds for the fireworks. We first had to sit through about an hour of stock car races. We attempted to convince her that maybe we should just go home, but she was determined to see them. She did state that never again in her life would she sit through any car races. The other battle was mosquitoes; in fact, a woman near us offered us $5.00 to use our bug spray. We were kind and let her use it for free!!
On Monday, which was actually the 4th, we continued another tradition by attending the parade in West Union. This is a very tiny town which has a nice park, maybe 15 homes and a bar/restaurant. On the 4th, however, the town swells with people. There is a small parade and lots of candy thrown out for the children. After the parade, there is a potluck in the park which is so reminiscent of days gone by. There is also a water pump in the park that spews out wonderful well water, and it was a new experience for Melody.
So again it was a wonderful summer holiday not filled with expectations of gifts and obligations but one of sheer joy.
Thought for the day: The years go by, and love grows with each memory we make. Flavia
