This is a tough one. Christmas was a very special time when I was growing up, and I have so many treasured memories of family and good times at Christmas. My father always made a big deal out of taking home movies of me and my sisters, disheveled and night-gowned, coming out of our rooms and opening the presents under the tree. Our father loved to be generous to us, and we really felt loved.
But I would have to say my favorite holiday is not Christmas – it is the Fourth of July.
The Fourth of July celebration at our house evolved over the years. My husband grew up in California, where fireworks were illegal, so he was so excited to be able to buy fireworks and set them off in our yard. We invited friends and family and it grew to a big cookout and party. Then he bought some dirt bikes and our two acres in the front yard became an oval riding track. Then the boys added games of skill to the dirt bike riding, like playing a form of polo with a very big yoga ball, or setting up obstacle courses and ramps. We live on a lake, so there was boating and swimming. My husband would take out the speed boat and some of us would take out the pontoon boat and we would rotate kids from the pontoon boat and swimming to the speed boat and skiing. The fireworks have really evolved the most over the years, going from fountains and firecrackers and bottle rockets to mortar shells to some really great, almost professional grade fireworks our oldest son buys somewhere in southern Indiana in a back room. My husband liked to drink beer on such occasions, so he dubbed our July 4th celebrations “Bikes, Bombs, Boats and Beer.” Our oldest son also took a liking to Tannerite several years ago, so he always uses Tannerite in the celebrations. He has made targets out of it and whoever wanted to could shoot one of the guns at the targets, resulting in a big bang. He always brings an old pot of some kind and sets it over a blast of Tannerite, and everyone watches in amazement as the Tannerite explodes and the pot goes flying straight up in the air 40-50 feet. My oldest is always very careful and responsible, and so far it has just been good, loud fun. Our neighbors always have fireworks, too, and we watch each others shows, clap and cheer. It is a great time, and every year it seems to get better. It was my husband’s favorite thing in the whole world to have those Fourth of July parties with the beautiful firework displays and his traditions live on, which also makes it special beyond words.
From the cookout and good food to the boating and swimming in the lake, to the bikes running around the yard to the big show, it is one long, fun day. I can still see the kids with their sparklers, drawing pictures in the smokey night air, their faces lit up, smiling and calling to each other. I can see the men with their flashlights, going into the yard to begin the fireworks show. Everyone else in a lawn chair in a semi circle, not close but with a good view, coating ourselves with bug spray and talking and laughing. And then the sky lights up with brilliant colors, sound and fury, filling our vision with magic. God Bless America!
A Little Bit of Everything, With Love 