YES! Those are blueberries! And -yes!- they're ours!Sunshine, fun rides, cotton candy, family time, and good music. Bright colors, friends, picnic dinners, and big grins. Yes, this sounds like a summer evening at Chataqua! For one weekend in July, a town near us seems to double in size as people come from miles around for great entertainment, a small (but fun) carnival, that sugary summertime food, huckleberry lemonade, and local arts and crafts.
And, this year, I took advice from Jessica Shae and pulled out my camera just to click. The result was a bunch of fun pictures that will remind me of an awesome evening spent with family and friends. Not every picture was perfect. But it's capturing the memories that really counts, so who cares? I didn't!
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My wonderfully awesome family! (minus Joe... but he joined us later)
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Don't we look like we have fun?!
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Well. We do.
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And you know what? We know how to have fun with friends, too!
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Once again, you may remember them (and the stage) from last year. They were just as fabulous as ever, and more so!
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You may realize that some of them in the picture aren't mine.
Red, white, and blue... sparkly, curly, and wonderful. .PNG)
Rapunzel... the American version? However you spell that?.PNG)
Friends and neighbors. .PNG)
Lunch, you say... you want lunch?.PNG)
Yes... if you don't mind. Watermelon, potato salad, coleslaw, and a hamburger... get more American classic if you can..PNG)
Friends... .PNG)
And more friends!.PNG)
I just haddd to post this picture of our friend's puppy... she is SO cute, and so completely classic. Puppies are so American. (and I know I say so a lot. So...?).PNG)
I was preeeettty awful at the fireworks shots in the beginning....PNG)
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I originally wasn't going to post this picture, but I couldn't resist. Just so you know, I have written a last will and testament for after Joe discovers this picture of himself on the internet.
The Fourth of July always brings to mind classic all-American scenes like watching the small town parade of old cars and a high school marching band. Like the smell of a grill and hot dogs, smothered in mustard and ketchup and accompanied by lots of iced Coke. Like the sparkle of fireworks in the night sky, and kids rushing around in the dim town park chasing fireflies.
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Sunscreen, lemonade, speeches, freedom, sticky ice cream cones, patriotic songs, sundresses, bike rides, history lessons, Sousa's marches, baseball caps, apple pie, lawn chairs, liberty, hamburgers, glow in the dark bracelets, reading the Declaration, and the laughter of tons of family and friends have made for fun memories at every one of our Fourth celebrations.
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So, all you Americans - here's to a bright, patriotic, fantastic, delicious day of fireworks, lemonade, friends, history, songs, ice cream, and old cars. Happy Independence Day!!!
from all of us,
♥
Sweet tea... especially great after you've been whacking weeds or mowing the grass or taking care of blueberries or checking on honeybees or picking wildflowers!!
Blue skies...
Enough sunshine to make a shadow!
Fresh food, to be eaten al fresco on the porch (yum!)...
Cows in the pasture again...
And I guess Roberta fell in love with him!
In which Sarah also thinks the watermelon is something else...
In which Roberta turns violent and demands vengeance for her lost lover (sounds like something out of Shakespeare!)
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