Friday, July 4, 2008

Happy 4th of July! Got Margarittas?

She's A Grand Ol' Flag

Good morning fellow Americans and friends across various ponds!
Today is a National Holiday, the day we celebrate Independence Day.

Before I share with you our day's events, a prayer of thanks...

********
Thank you to our founding fathers, for risking everything they had, to secure our Nation.

Thank you to all the service men, women and families, past and present, that have sacrificed on our behalf, to keep our borders, nation and founding ideologies safe.

I am grateful for the ground I walk on, the skies I can look at, the life I can choose to have, and the liberties that I have...
Amen
*******
Now, on to our plans....

It's 8:49 am and 66 degrees! Today's high is forecasted at 80, with thunderstorms. This news, my friends is the BEST 4th of July weather forecast we have had in years!!! Nine bloody sweaty, dusty, miserable 4th of July's in a row are now 'broken' by a lovely to be had day! Woo Hoo! I'll take a Thunderstorm over a 95 to 105 degree day any ol' day, even with the hay down (sorry, honey!)...

Here is how our Typical 4th of July goes down:
First, my husband leaves at 6 am to go irrigate. We don't see the whites of his eyes until Rodeo Time, about 1:30 pm. So, I get the duties of dragging the kids to town. We usually have a miserable, hot 4th of July spent in downtown Haines with the longest parade in small town history (2 hours at least with every stickhorse, pony, bike, piece of farm equipment, family reunion float within 50 miles and loud obnoxious public service vehicle blaring it's horn), various events in the park (vendors, BBQ, quilts, trinkets and stuff), the rodeo ((the highlight of the day -great entertainment (hats and wrangers, hats and wranglers), except when it is bloody hot, always dusty, your kids are whining that they are hot, and sweat is dripping down between 'the twins' and your HUSBAND ditches his family for the beer garden - year after bloody hot year)).. Oh, and lets not forget the fireworks (which don't start until 10pm, and the kids are usually crying and cranky by that hour, since bedtime is early on the ranch, and dad is already 'sleeping off his celebratory drinks', so mom tries her best to take the kids back to town to see the fireworks, driving around trying to find a good spot, and asking herself 'why?' 'why, oh bloody why do I do this!') ....

sigh...

But this year is going to be different! Oh yeah, baby...

This is the New 4th of July Plan!

  • I'm making potato salad. Potatoes are cooling in the fridge as we speak.
  • I'm making baked beans (8 hours in Crockpot). Crockpot is cooking as we speak. Will be done at 1pm!
  • Kids and I are going to the dorky parade (save us) - but, we are hooking up with my BFF Michelle and her twins (kids, not 'her girls')
  • I have secret weapons packed in the car!!! Soccer mom chairs, scooters, swim gear, picnic blanket. Just in-case we decide to escape! I'm doing some serious plotting to run away from the 'scene' and going to a pool and hangin' - magazine style. Poolside cocktails. Subway sandwiches and NO DUST! Tee hee! I'm giddy just thinking about it! (and smiling a very happy little smile!)
  • We are not doing the rodeo today - no dust!
  • We are going to Michelle's ranch for dinner tonight at 7pm. Margarittas for the girls, beer for the boys.
  • We will watch the fireworks from a hilltop at Michelle's.
Tomorrow night we will catch the rodeo. It won't be on the 4th, and we will be just fine. It will be at 5pm with the evening cooling off and the sun going down, and it will be so delightful.

And, that my friends, is how the 4th of July is going to be had.
Happily!

We do have a funeral to attend tomorrow morning, for a dear friend that meant a lot to our community. but I will save that story for later.

Time to go play!
Have a great one!!!!!!

9 comments:

Dawn said...

Happy 4th of July!!

noble pig said...

Sounds fab...Happy 4th to you!

Louise (KardKrazy) said...

Andi, your description of the parade just cracked me up!
Glad to see your revised plans are more appealing to you.
Hope you 4th is Dandy.

Sue McGettigan said...

Andi this sounds like a WONDERFUL way to spend July 4 (LOL at 'the twins' :) - hope you have the best day. Margaritas sound good, I had a glass of wine on the patio while DD's boyfriend did the grilling :)

Kerilou said...

HI Andi! Your plans sound wonderful! I will be curious to see how it turned out! Nothing like a small town parade!!
Happy 4th! Kerilou

*karendianne. said...

Perfectly wonderful!!! Your excitement is shining thru. ;)

Sandy said...

Hope your secret plan worked! You CRACKED ME UP with the twins!! ROFLROFLROFL!!!!!!

Arlene said...

Andi,

On your blog, you have a "Subscribe me" by Feedblitz. I am signed up under Feedblitz, but I don't know what I'm looking for to add that to my blog. Is it under "Newsletter?"

htt;//arlenesbits.blogspot.com

Sarah said...

Thanks for the chuckle!

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