I love the 4th of July! What a great holiday: No gifts to shop for, great weather, easy food, unabashed patriotism, friends and family all make for a wonderful celebration. When we moved to our current house ten years ago one of the big selling points was the neighborhood “parade” on the 4th—which has been going on for more than 40 years. There are no fancy ads—the time (which is always 10am) and date reminders are on paper plates attached to trees. At the appointed time people stream to the starting spot with kids in strollers, on bikes, or walking. Some are very dressed up but some just in play clothes. Some have decorated bikes or wagons, but lots just come. One of the adults who is the grandson of one of the founding families plays the drum with a couple younger kid drummers and they are off. The kids (and some parents) walk around a big block twice. People on those streets play patriotic music and sit in their front yards waving and clapping. At the end there is a house “where the ice cream is.” I think when that house is sold there is something in the contract about this big responsibility—which is to make cones from the ice cream donated by a local store. The whole thing is over in about 20 minutes and everyone goes home thinking what a great holiday it is-including our grandkids who go as part of our household. In the 10 years we have seen families whose kids have grown into and out of wanting to be in the parade. It is interesting to see those parents still show up with not a small amount of wistfulness over times gone by.
I felt that same wistfulness when our 5 year old Katie announced her Minnie sweater was just too small. I can’t help but think that when we put so much of our time and care into a project for a loved one, only to find they have outgrown it, or outworn it that it has a much bigger effect than something we buy for them. Luckily for most of us we just go into our stash and come up with the plans for another project. Actually, just recently I confided to Katie that I would show her my “secret” yarn room in the basement. Is she in for a surprise!
