4th of July Memories!

July 5, 2010

I hope everyone had a GREAT 4th of July - mine was good. I attended a picnic at friend's house in Stratford, CT. Not too many people, good food and good company. Just like my childhood holidays. We (my mom and sisters) used to spend the 4th in Southampton, LI - our hometown. We had a spot downstreet (local expression) where our family stood for years and watched the parade come down North Main street right past us. The family hasn't been together on the 4th in years so I know some other tribe has "our" spot. I hope their memories are as great as mine.

After the parade there was usually a cookout at my Aunt Florence (my mom's sister) and Uncle Elton's house, which was the same house my mom and her siblings were raised in. My Grandfather was married twice and my mom and her four siblings were the result of his second marriage. His first marriage blessed him with 2 children. And my mom's mother had a son when she married my grandfather. Oh yeah grand-dad was already a grandfather when he started his second family. Quick genealogy lesson on the Lee tribe. So my mom, her seven siblings, their mates and children would fill the yard where we ate the burgers grilled by one uncle or another while another uncle or cousin was boiling the water for the lobsters and crabs and still another uncle or cousin was steaming clams. And for those who liked their clams raw someone was shucking them over an over-sized garbage can filled with empty shells.

We would all eat too much and laugh a lot while grubbing on good eats. And the adults would drink until it was time to watch the (illegal) fireworks and sparklers that my uncle, who will remain unnamed to protect the guilty, would bring from the city. All in all a good time was had by everyone every year.

I hope all your past 4th of July celebrations, including yesterday, were family-fun-filled times. And if they weren't make sure to make it happen for yourself next year.