So come on tell us how was your 4th of July?

Are you waking up with a hangover or are you perfectly clear headed this morning??

Whatever, tell us, who missed out on the party, how did it go??

A little hung over, but not too bad. At least I didn't have to go to work like DH. After the storm, (not too bad) we had a cookout and when it got dark, we shot off fireworks in my DD backyard.

I had to work till 10pm, my DH is out of town so I spent what was left of the evening doing laundry! Yeah, I know....borrrringgggggg

Mine was boring also. I hate to travel on any holiday so I stay home. Usually have a cookout w/friends but this year busy fixing the house to sell, so I painted the kitchen instead.

What is a cookout? Is it like a buffet barbeque outside?

If your holidays are anything like ours you are best staying home as the traffic is horrendous!! :((

psilo, yes a cookout is like your buffet barbeque outside. Except I have a lovely screened house in the back yard about 12' x 15' complete with comfy furniture where we can escape the mosquitoes (or rain) and still get a breeze. We have the grill just outside the door to the "summer house".

We had a great indoor bbq this year, just too humid for a 9month pregnant girl. Then we went to the fireworks show at our high school, they put on a huge show every year. Emily was just fascinated, would have loved to have seen them through 2 yr old eyes.

I really had a nice day. We left at 6:00 a.m and hauled some calves to a friends place to have their hooves trimmed. They live about 125 miles north of us. The weather was beautiful there temps were almost 20 degrees cooler than at our house. We went with them to a wonderful breakfast held at their local community center. We visited while the hooves were being trimmed and headed home. We got home at 4:30 and I quick threw together some cavatine and cole slaw and we went to another friends house for pot luck and fireworks. The best part of this is that this friend and I had been estranged for several years (long story). We had been best friends until about 5 years ago and we both let some petty stuff interfere with our friendship. I decided a few years ago to make the first steps. It has been a slow process but I think we are back to where we were several years ago. I really feel good to have her back as a friend.

A quiet day - very hot here, so I spent a good bit of time moving sprinklers around (it's feast or famine when it comes to rain!!!) Went to my MIL's to swim for a bit, grabbed a pizza to keep things simple, and came back in time to catch the big community fireworks display. After that we came home and shot our own fireworks, and laughed at our dogs trying to "eat" them (please don't call the SPCA, the dogs are just really dumb about fireworks, but we don't let them get hurt!) Lights out and in bed by 11:00, so we woke up "bright eyed and bushy tailed" this morning :o)

We had a very nice evening celebration with a barbecue, we did salmon, and my DH's family was here and a few neighbors. The newlyweds were here too.The kids had a ball with their fireworks. We always build a bonfire at dark and the kids shoot off their fireworks.

Still celebrating since Thursday evening and having a grand-ole time.

No hangovers here, LOL - but we had such fun. I had gone to a ladies' pampering retreat the night before but couldn't sleep in a strange bed with a snoring bedmate (LOL) so was pretty tired.

But got my 2nd wind as we travelled to Amish country to attend my DH's mom's side family reunion which is held every 2 years on the 4th of July. About 80 folks were able to make it and a good time was had by all. Next time our part of the family is responsible for hosting it - whew!

DH's dad has been sick and this was his first day out amongst people since he started to have trouble about 5 weeks ago and he did really well - praise the Lord!

Then we drove around Amish country, went to view his mom's family farm (from afar) and ran into the strangest weather - we were on the edge of a thunderstorm so we were in sunlight but ahead of us was black clouded sky and heavy winds and rain. Fascinating! We've had a lot of rainbow weather lately in Ohio and this was another of those days.

Then we went to his cousin's house for a closer family picnic and enjoyed burgers and great conversation... the temperature of the day started in the 90's and by the time we had the second picnic it was mid-70's - dramatic change, what a welcome relief!

It was a delightful day! Thanks for asking!

Hi all. It is wonderful to hear how you all spent your day! We miss out alot in the UK. No July 4th, No thanksgiving!! :O we have to make up own excuses to have a party!! :D
Thankyou for sharing it with everyone.

Nebraska I am really pleased that you made up with your friend. Life is too short to waste it on petty arguments.Well done you!:))

Mine was boring !!! worked most of the day! Then called my sisters in Ohio, had a bit of a problem talking to them at first cause they were getting a storm and we kept getting cut off. Cried to each other about how much we missed each other and wished we could have been ALL together!! The wonderful bond of sisters!!!!bittersweet!! went to bed early and had to work this morning. The life of a single working woman.

Howdy. 'Twas a work day for me (most of the day), but afterwards we pulled out the fireworks after dark and shot them off on the deck (w/ a couple drinky-winkies!). Great fun, especially w/a nine yr old! Wasn't aware how many we bought..we were still lighting them up an hr later! Very nice! I think I passed out around midnite...early morning for me cuz of the market. And here I sit, hot...tired...pleasantly exhausted.

I don't really drink so no hangover here...........lol. Jim's brother's had a couple of beers while we were watching the fireworks but Jim doesn't drink either so we just sat in the field and watched the fireworks being fired from the space center here in Alamogordo. You can see the space center and the big IMAX sign on the building from the backyard. There's a wonderful view of the mountain from here too and I enjoy it whenever I step outside to smoke my cigarette :)

For the farm, work as usual, as this is one of the heaviest workdays for us.. Produce trucks coming and going all day.. Loaded out several semi's of watermelon, fresh corn, peas, okra, and greens..Nonstop for all of our help here..But we do feed them well. Ribs, & bbq'ed hams all cooked over huge homemade grills over oak wood. Brunswick Stew, fresh corn, tomatoes,pepper and lots other good southern food..It was 100 degrees in the shade and 89% humidity..But that's nothing new..All in all, a very good day.
Larkie

I got home from Florida Thursday evening..but was ready to "party" the next day. Gunny & I went to the VFW's picnic...then the apartment complex where he lives had a pizza/cake/watermelon/ice cream social for tenants and guests. We were in an excellent location near the city park to view the fireworks....without fighting traffic. Then we watched the Arizona Diamond Backs beat the Dodgers (at which time my DGD's air squadron....including Amy... was presented to the crowd. They had done a "fly over" before the game, and were guests. *yawn* I think I need a nap! Jo

Larkie....I need to come apply for a job! Sha-zaam!!!

This message was edited Saturday, Jul 5th 5:51 PM

Come on SHoe..We always need good strong help here, a lot of help doesn't last long, especially in the watermelon field..A day of loading 500-1000, 40-50 pounders will either make you or break you, and the heat will finish you off, lol..Hard work on the farm..It gets harder each year to find folks that will still do this kind of hard labor,in our heat, and we produce farm year round..We have a good crew that has been with us for years, but extra help is hard to find.We'll feed you good..LOL, if you are able to eat..
Larkie

We were in the field most of the day too. Had a in the house picnic of cole slaw, mac salad, potato salad & burgers. Went to the legion for a couple of drinks. Had to rise at 5AM for market.
Larkie, can we use your melon pickers about Aug 15? Thats when our crop starts. Hams & ribs, HMMMmm, does sound better than peanut butter sandwich!
Bernie

Bernie,
If I sent our help north of here my hubby would probably fire me..Our melons will be gone by then, but not all the other vegetables..Then on to combing corn, peanuts, and soybeans..I would send a few if I could get away with it.. LOL.. Good luck with your crop..We have fared pretty well, considering too much rain for melons..Some of our neighbor farmers were'nt as lucky..In one field we had a good bit of deer damage, but over all a good season, and still going strong.
Larkie

Our 4th was nice and quiet. No big surprise, it rained all day. The parents hit the road with friends and spent the day at a casino, so I worried about them all day. (I don't know what's gotten into them, partying all the time, staying out late ... I think they are hanging with a bad crowd ;)

I didn't want to get on the road in the weather, so we just stayed at home. No fire works here ... it was just a quiet day.

Cheri'

The fourth came and went very quickly. It is has been very hot here so on the 3rd we got in the boat and went out onto Lake Ontario where the water was calm and still. We went up the coast to Sodus Bay and found a nice secluded cove to drop anchor in. I made us sandwiches and we fished a bit. Then slept in slightly cramped quarters, listening to the glug, glug of the water lapping on the sides of the boat. In the morning we rolled out of bed literally, made coffee and enjoyed the piece and quiet of the fish jumping and the birds singing. A great blue heron was fishing near by and a kingfisher flew over head. No fish were biting but that really isn't the point. We pulled up the anchor and went to a nearby marina and met my son who has a boat there. We drove into the little town and went to breakfast at the Bait Shop. No lie. The bait shop in one room and the restaurant on the other side. Then to beat the crowd we headed back home stopping along the way to fish. It takes about 1 1/2 hr. to get home but we took longer because of stopping. It was very hot and by the time we docked, all I wanted to do was get home and in the shower. We were asleep by the time the fireworks went boom boom. Thanks for asking. It was nice to relive the scenes and remember it.

Our 4th celebrations were iffy: we had severe storm warnings from about sunset until the storm hit, at the time the fireworks were scheduled to start. Some towns postponed until tonight, some had them early, some kept going, bravely fighting it out with the thunder and lightning.

Here in Grove City, where we are fierce in our determination to be different, we were the latter category. The family stood in the garage and watched the fireworks to the west and south, and the lightning to the north and west. Wow! Such noise!

I spent the morning of the 4th cooking and baking and preserving my harvest.

Psilo, what about Guy Fawkes Day? Or isn't that much of a celebration where you live?

Stan put a new unit in on the barn cleaner - not one of the more popular ways to celebrate the 4th! I helped a tiny little bit and then put the cows in while he unloaded the last wagon load of haylage that he had cut on Thursday night. We were in bed before anyone around here was thinking about fireworks. Stan tells me there was an horrendous thunderstorm in the night, but I managed to sleep through it! At one point during the day, I do remember him having a Coca Cola and I had a Scweppes Gingerale - that was the extent of our imbibing! I have no idea what we ate!

Such variety, and such wholesome folks! This is a good thread, as it proves I'm not so weird as to have no comparable members. I was in bed before the ten o'clock news came on.

My youngest DS has kept me busy on a project for a week, which involves getting up early and coming home late, spending the day out in the limestone hills of the lake area west of me. My cell phone shows "no service" out there. So I spent the day alone, working on his friend's house to clean it up after a stove fire covered everything with soot. No hangover, even after drinking about a gallon of water. But we did get some nice showers and thunderstorms, there as well as at home, and again today, so my neglect of the yard won't be quite so bad as I perform miracles to restore that house.

We went to my friends annual 4th get together and had barbeque and watched the fireworks over the bay. It was pleasant and not so hot as usual because the rain stopped for exactly the 3 hours we were there. I hobbled on my crutches and everyone waited on me...kewl!
Larkie, I NEED your recipe for Brunswick stew, one of my fav foods.

Ours was very uneventful. We worked outside all morning, then DH went to help a neighbor haul some hay bales and I watered and fed all our new baby trees. That took all afternoon and part of the evening. By the time DH came home it was almost dark and he helped me finish up the watering and feeding. We went inside and heard fireworks from a neighbors house about a 1/4 mile away. We grabbed some beers and sat on our still unfinished deck and watched them. After we showered, DH fell asleep in the recliner and I attempted to hang some shower curtains. I'm not happy with them, but I'm going to give them a day or two to see if they hang out and straighten up a bit. They are so stiff I can't do anything with them.

So, that was our 4th. Today was actually a little better. We gave DD a ride to work at the nursing home in the next town, I visited my elderly garden mentor who is in the nursing home with a broken pelvis, and then we did some garden shopping. I finally found some 20-20-20 fertilizer that I've been looking for all spring/summer. We bought some mums that were on sale and I found a new lilac bush to plant by the deck so we can enjoy the lovely fragrance both inside and outside. The best part of the trip was that the Vision Center is redoing their landscaping and a friend called me last week and said they were ripping out all the woodbine, and she knew I was looking for some. She called and they said it's fair game and come and get it, but it has to be out by Monday morning or it's history. DH and I got quite a bit of that and it's now soaking in a bucket to be planted tomorrow. I didn't realize the roots those things had! Yowzers!!! Finding things like that always make a day seem productive.

Happy belated 4th everyone!

Had Bar B Qued brisket, chicken , sausage and hot links at our neighborhood gathering which was held the evening of the 3rd and for some of us; kinda continued on through the weekend.

a small portion of the 265 plus people that where at the gathering; counting kids and all. Know there was more than that cause there where some that didn't sign the guest book.
A good time was had by all and lots of food to eat as well. We had 5 of those long tables full of food and really could have used another table but we managed.
The gatherings get bigger every year.
The first year we started, there where like 50-70 people and has grown in size since.

I love all these big gettogethers that you folks seem to have. You have them at Thanksgiving too dont you? We dont do anything like that here in the UK

LupineLover Guy fawkes day is celebrated over here but it is not a national holiday. Celebrations have changed over the years. When I was small whole families would get together around the bonfire and have a really good time. Then, that seemed to fade out and public bonfires seemed to grow in popularity where people could saftely go to watch fireworks. Unfortunatly esculating health and safety insurance gradually shut these down. Now with fireworks costing considerably less private bonfires have become common again but they are only small affairs usually with a few friends round.

Our summer bank holidays are often a good excuse for the family to get together around the barbeque but our weather is so unpredictable that more often than not it is sausages grilled inside whilst we watch the rain!! :))

psilo; you just have to get something started up your way. Here friends invite family and friends and so on. Everyone here brings there own beverages, lawn chairs and a covered dish. We even had a big fireworks display afterwards and also had a 50-50 raffle; half the 'kitty' goes to the winner and the other half helps pay for the expenses; maily the meat and the person hired to prepare it all.

Here, we gather friends and family around to boil crabs, crawfish and shrimp. The season usually starts around Mardi Gras and continues until early or mid summer. We had our last one the weekend before the fourth of July, indoors, due to the weather. Tho obviously the seafood was boiled outdoors.
There's just something about a boil, everyone is loosened up, even without alcohol. Lots of laughter. I think it's because it's such a messy affair, it hard to be somber with crab juice running down your elbows. =)

Cheri'

Yeah, Psilo, start a new Brit thing: your own version of a US potluck. Doesn't have to be any real reason; we often have block parties to celebrate the first day back to school, the day the loud neighbors finally moved out, whatever ;D

Next weekend is our town's Homecoming. Everyone who can, comes back to town for the weekend. Even have friends coming in from Australia, all over Europe, all over US, just to re-establish old friendships, enjoy some serious softball, and hang around together. Our population is about 25,000; next weekend there might be 150,000 people in town. Whew!

LL,there is also a homecoming in my area/ pentwater, mi/ it is a annual celebration that has been held for many years with lots of festivities and ppl come from all over to attend. It is held later this month[ it is a time to come home }