Fourth Of July

I can not think of the Fourth Of July without thinking about my Daddy!!! My Dad love to have fun. He was always telling jokes and pulling pranks. The 4th was his favorite Holiday!

As I have shared with you before, we always planted a huge (I am talking Huge!!!!) GARDEN. We did not know at the time when we were dropping all those seeds for green beans and covering what seemed like endless rows of them , that they were for something special for us. We still did not know this when we were hoeing them out, pulling weeds and later picking them.

My Father worked for the L&N Railroad and he took the beans to what we called the yard office and sold them to his friends. I am sure as they knew what the money was for they paid extra. Then he would take us to the fireworks stand to buy "pretty" fireworks for the 4th.

My Father as was his way taught us if we wanted something we had to work hard to get it. Which I thank him for.

After this the fun would start. Our house was near the railroad tracks. We would get up early on the 4th have breakfast (Bacon, fresh eggs, from our chickens, homemade biscuits and homemade jams and jellies) then we would go with our Dad up the railroad to pick blackberries. I can still hear and feel the excitement we felt as children getting to set out on our adventure and begin our very special day. When we came home our Mother and Grandmother would turn these into the most beautiful and best tasting cobbler ever.

They were already busy preparing our picnic foods. We always had potato salad. deviled eggs, green beans with new potatoes, squash and if they were in sliced tomatoes, cumber salad cut into slices with onions placed in a bowl of salted water with a little vinegar added and corn on the cob dribbing with butter. For dessert we would have watermelon, homemade ice cream, and chocolate pie.

While they were doing this we were outside helping our Dad with the BBQ. He would cook whole chickens, pork chops, hot dogs and hamburgers. Now my Dad was a strict man but he had a very kind heart. He would send us kids around the neighborhood to invite all the neighbors to eat with us . Oh what fun we had!!! All of the adults chatting away, the ladies using paper fans to keep cool in the blistering summer heat, children running about playing and laughing. At dusk we were chasing lighting bugs and roasting marshmallows. Then came what we had waited for all day our fireworks. We were never allowed to touch them our Dad would shoot them for us. You could hear our squeals of delight for miles around!!! Even the adults were excited.

As I think back on these days I cannot do so without thanking all of the people who served and are serving in the military to insure our Freedom. My Father and Grandfather as well as my Husband"s Father and Uncle"s served in the military. My hat is off to all the men and women who are paying the price for our freedom even today. So many are in harms way protecting this Great Country of ours.

Happy Fourth Of July!!!!!!