“America is a tune. It must be sung together.”
I just love birthdays and today is the grandest of them all. Happy Birthday, America.
On July 3rd 1776, John Adams wrote a letter to his wife Abigail. In it, he predicted the celebrations for American Independence Day, including the parties:
It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other.
The problem was he expected July 2nd to be Independence Day as that was the day the Second Continental Congress voted for independence, but the signing ceremony for the Declaration of Independence didn’t happen until two days later so because July 4th appears on the Declaration, it became the date we celebrate Independence.
I know some people complain that the meaning of the day is lost in the barbecues and the fireworks, but they have forgotten John Adams’ hope. We are celebrating exactly as he wished. Flags are waving everywhere. Families get together to celebrate and to break bread, albeit hot dog rolls. Fireworks illuminate the sky. Baseball is played on small town fields and in huge stadiums. Drums beat the cadence in parades. We sing rousing songs celebrating America and our freedom. We also sing heartfelt songs about what America means to us. We are many sorts of people, we Americans. We don’t all look the same, eat the same foods or dress in the same way, but we all celebrate today and we share a love of country. Happy Birthday, America, from all of us Americans.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: America, fife and drum, games, Happy Birthday, Independence Day, John Adams, parades, parties, Sports
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
July 4, 2015 at 11:18 am
To be honest, it is a good thing they signed it the fourth, the 4th of July sounds way much better than the 2nd of July 🙂
I wish we had the tradition of celebrating our national day but the only ones doing it areb the nazis and the immigrants, and from two very different poit of views 🙂 It is hard to celebrate a king who mostly slaughtered almost everyone who helped him come to power or a new parliament direction 🙂 I’ve always said tha they shoukld have found a reason to have it in the autumn when we have no other holidays at all, why not when our skiier Ingmar Stenmark whon his first slalom world cup 🙂 No one could consentrate when he went down the hills, even the schools gave up and let all the children and teachers watch it on the school tv’s 🙂 That is something to celebrate 🙂
Happy 4th of July!
Christer.
July 4, 2015 at 11:34 am
Christer,
I guess we’re just used to saying the 4th. It does have a ring to it!
I read somewhere that we are the only country which knows exactly when it became a country. I think other countries became independent from colonial powers but they were countries even before their independence, just not free countries.
It is a bit difficult to celebrate a king known for slaughtering so many people. It is grand to celebrate today!!
Have a great day!!!
July 4, 2015 at 12:14 pm
Happy Birthday, America!
Stay young and healthy and please don’t let governments take away democratic rights and freedom from your people. They try to do the same here and elsewhere.
40°C / 104°F in the shadow in my garden this afternoon. I hope to find cool music downtown now.
July 4, 2015 at 12:28 pm
Birgit, hopefully Bochum is full of music on a beautiful Saturday evening and the food and beer matches
July 4, 2015 at 4:59 pm
Hedley, who can resist Bavarian brass punk music? Too hot for beer and bike. Back home now for soccer 2nd half and beer. 0-0, it seems I haven’t missed anything.
July 4, 2015 at 5:57 pm
Hi Birgit – Bavarian Brass Punk sounds worthy of a couple of beers. We are outside drinking Corona and wine, so I haven’t followed the ladies. Please, not another penalty shoot out wit Germany.
July 4, 2015 at 6:19 pm
Alright Birgit, we have it on, are you watching ?
July 4, 2015 at 6:33 pm
ENGLAND 1 Germany 0
Well done England, now we wait for the USA tomorrow night against japan
July 4, 2015 at 6:42 pm
[game over, back on computer] Hedley, congratulations! Keep on having fun outside !
July 4, 2015 at 2:41 pm
Birgit,
I’m staying ever vigilant as I hope most Americans are. We have lost enough in the guise of protection.
July 4, 2015 at 12:22 pm
I heard an interview on the BBC with a first generation immigrant to the United States who described the experience as living on either end of an exclamation point. She went on to describe that home is always the other place depending on where you are.
I totally got it, I am looking forward to my trip home in November and as soon as I am there, I will be anxious to get home to suburban Detroit.
My formative years were somewhere else, my family years are here.
Born in England and the United States by choice. At the end of the day I am just an Old Muttley
Happy 4th July to the country that has given me so much.
July 4, 2015 at 2:42 pm
My Dear Hedley,
That is a wonderful descriptive, the exclamation point.
I knew that my stay in Ghana was only temporary but it became my home for those months. When I got home, here, I wished I hadn’t left Ghana.
July 4, 2015 at 2:46 pm
We celebrate our independence from Britain on the 4th of July and our northern neighbors celebrate their country’s independence, Canada Day, on the first of July. Israel celebrates their independence in May according to the Jewish calendar.
Independence has worked well in some parts of the world and should be celebrated but in other places it has led to wars and dictators. The Brittish never learned when it was time to abandon their empire. Indian Independence lead to civil war and a the creation of Pakestain with whom they are still enemies. The Brits didn’t really make peace with their first colony, Ireland, until the 1980s. I compare the British foreign office policies for the last couple of hundred years as, “we’re not happy until you’re not happy”.
How about celebrating the fourth with a fifth on the third. 🙂 If you do stay off the roads. Have a happy and a safe holiday.
July 4, 2015 at 4:10 pm
Bob,
I lived in Ghana which peacefully and joyfully received its independence from England in 1957. Ireland had to do with the six counties of Northern Ireland which didn’t want independence. The IRA believed they should be part of an independent Irish Republic. It is very difficult, nigh impossible, to define British foreign policy unless you choose to go country by country instead of choosing high profile countries.
My holiday will be here with friends enjoying good food and a great movie.
Happy 4th of July!
July 4, 2015 at 5:43 pm
Hi Kat,
For such a serious guy John Adams had it right. It’s a day of celebration. Fireworks and music, flags, parades and hot dogs, (though I doubt they had those then. Maybe sausages in a bun?). Family and friends gathered around for real or virtually. Either way works.
Home is a funny idea. There’s “Home” where your roots are and then there’s “Home” where you’re making a life for yourself. They can be the same place but they don’t have to be and that’s good too.
It was cloudy and even rained a tiny bit. But now the sun is out. Fireworks are on for later this evening.
Enjoy the 4th!
July 5, 2015 at 1:00 am
Hi Caryn,
I followed John’s wishes and celebrated in a grand style. We hd a wonderful evening which ended around 12:30. I dd a bit of last minute cleaning and am watching the last few minutes of Hopalong Cassidy ( 1952).
You’re right about home being where you’re making a life for yourself. I felt perfectly at home in Ghana.
We never got rain. I was thrilled when the sun and blue skies appeared; however, it was really cold watching the movie.
Hope you had a great 4th!!
July 4, 2015 at 6:21 pm
ood of the Month: Cucumbers
Added by Valerie Wilson on June 6, 2015.
Saved under Eating Well, Health, healthly living, healthy eating, Life, nutrition, receipes, wisdom
Cucumbers are a wonderful summertime food. Being 95% water, they are a cooling vegetable, ideal for keeping you cool on those hot summer days. Juicy and refreshing, cucumbers have many great health benefits. They contain phyto-nutrients called, cucurbitacins, which have been shown to have anti-cancer properties. High in Vitamin C, K, and several B Vitamins, they also contain anti-inflammatory properties. Cucumbers contain copper, potassium, and manganese, plus numerous antioxidants such as beta-carotene.
Cucumbers are one of my favorite summer vegetables. They are wonderful in salads, and are great for serving with dips at a party. Another one of my favorite ways to utilize them is to put slices of cucumbers on sandwiches.
In this recipe, I have combined cucumbers with the sea vegetable wakame. Because of cucumbers sweet taste, they complement the bitter taste of the wakame. Sea vegetables are the most nutrient dense food on the planet. They are high in: calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and Vitamins, A, C, several B Vitamins including B12.
Wakame in particular has the ability to turn toxic metals in the intestines into harmless salts that can be discharged from the body. Wakame is such a powerful food it can cleanse radiation out of the body. Sea vegetables expand when you soak them, so you do not need to use a lot of them in your recipes. They also have a bitter taste, so putting them with other flavors such as sweet, salty, sour and pungent, helps create a flavorful dish. This recipe contains all five flavors and will satisfy your taste buds.
Cucumber Wakame Salad
2 cucumbers (sliced in thin half moons)
6 inches wakame
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
2 T. brown rice vinegar
2 T. ume plum vinegar
2 scallions (sliced thin)
Put the cucumber slices in a bowl. Put the 2 T. ume plum vinegar over them and let marinade for one hour. Meanwhile, soak the wakame for about 10 minutes until soft. Cut the wakame into small pieces. Place in bowl, put 2 T. brown rice vinegar over and let marinade one hour. Mix the marinated cucumbers and wakame together along with the sesame seeds. Put in refrigerator and serve cold.
July 5, 2015 at 1:04 am
Morphy,
I haven’t ever tasted wakame, even had to look up what it is. I love cucumbers marinated. I don’t use such healthy veggies as your recipe does but I do use peppers and onions with the cucumbers. I will have to see if I can find the wakame. Thanks again!@!