Happy Fourth of July to all my American friends!! 

What's everyone's plans for today?

For me, I'm going to take the morning to write before the chaos of the day sets in. And it's going to be a busy, busy day once noon rolls around. Preparing for a cookout is time consuming, and we're taking it easy this year and going the hamburger and wienie route.

Do you have a specific food you cook on July 4th or do you do the typical cookout fare? 


Makes you hungry, doesn't it? LOL. Yeah, I'm being mean, but if it makes you feel better, I'm starving as I write this, so I'm just torturing myself. 

I love getting together with my friends and cooking out, but my favorite part of the 4th are the fireworks. Our city puts on a great show. We normally pack up the cars around 7:30 and go in search for our spot. Everyone is flooding the downtown area around the same time and traffic is horrible. But I have cop friends, lol. We've been shown the secret area. It's the perfect spot to watch the fireworks. I mean perfect. No building obstructing your view--just a large flat area covered with grass. I have no idea how no one but a few seem to know where this place is. I guess those who do know are like me and refuse to share the secret.

We take blankets, drinks and snacks out there and just relax until the show starts..and then it does. As soon as those colors start bursting in the sky, I'm immediately a kid again. Clapping over ones that seem to skip through the air. Ohhing over the ones that zigzag across the sky. Ahhing over the ones that shoot high into the air then disappear only to explode into a fountain of color.

There is something magical about fireworks.

Happy 4th everyone!!
Esme