Fourth of July

This weekend is a great holiday. When I was growing up we always had breakfast in the park on the Fourth. My mother would have scrambled eggs and bacon. After I got married my husband loved the fourth and always got a permit from the city to have fireworks in our backyard. After he died they would not let me have one. When I was at home we got our fireworks from my uncle, who was a druggist. My sister Ethel had a roman candle break in half which kind of ruined the day. I use to collect coffee cans for my children to put in lady fingers and shoot them. Sparklers were wonderful. My grandchildren use to put on plays in the backyard to entertain us until dark on the fourth. As their cousins got older they were added to the cast. If it rained it dampened the night but we shot off night works anyway. One year we went to the fireworks display in Prairie Village that was being held by the swimming pool. It was very short as the first thing they fired felling into the rest of the fireworks and blew it up. We attended many displays there over the years but that was the most exciting although short. When we were in China we watched them making fireworks. I saw a little girl sitting on her stepping fixing lady fingers and thought I should take a movie and run it backwards and I would be able to undo my own lady fingers at home. Ray had worked in a stand growing up and later the man who ran it had wholesale fireworks so Ray would our fireworks at a discount. They are company I think does the big displays around town.

Mottos

I have two things on my refrigerator that help me with life. The best one is. "It is nice to be imortant but it is more important to be nice. I love that one. The other I am not exactaly sure of. "We the willing led by the unknowing are going doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much with so little for so long we are now qualified to do anything with nothing, I love them.

Two screws

I live in a wheelchair and I have two arms to my wheelchair that helps me a great deal. I could not get along without the arms. It has screws but for some reason they like to fall out and are very difficult to get back in the arm. Right now the right arm has tape over the arm so the ones in there do not fall out. When the tape gets loose I get nervous. I am nervous right now, Wheelchairs get a lot of use when you do not walk well. You have to remember many things like being sure your brakes are locked. The most important rule. It is the same wheelchair my husband used many years ago so I have fond memories of it and him grateful it gets me around my house. Maybe it is just getting old like I am.

Marigolds

I do love marigolds. They bloom alll over my patio between the cracks of the patio blocks. I don't plant them theyn are voluntires. I grow plants in my barrels and the seeds fall out and plant themselves. I have zinnas too but they don't reseed themselves. They are such a happy plant and don't ask for much. That sort of sums things up for they speak for themselves everyday.

Flag Day

Flag Day is coming up. It always seemed like a fun day with no pressure. I have a great flag. I received it from when I worked to help Larry Winn go to Congress. After the election was over and Larry Winn won he gave me a flag that had flown over the U S Capitol. I had a flag but it lacked a couple of stars for Hawaii and Alaska. I don't know if anyone will have time to put it in the flag pole hole and also come back and take it down. The neighbors across the street fly a flag all the time with a light on it so I may just salute it.

Fireflies

They have arrived in my yard and I do enjoy seeing them. They are still mostly in my neighbor's yard but they are in the area. I have great memories of catching them as a child, We put them in jars with holes in the lids. I know how the Japanese loved them and if they happened to be in the area during their time that were overjoyed. I'm not sure but think they only go as far west as Manhattan. I don't think western Kansas has them. I do not know how far east they go either. I do love firefly season and am sorry when they leave.