I love July 4th… The late nights, the fireworks, the food… I mean, come on… It’s awesome!
I was thinking this year might be pretty laid back, but in reality it was probably the best 4th of July blowout I’ve ever had. In fact, we actually spread the extravaganza over two days.
Friday, my folks came over and helped us get our garden together (I planted 57 tomato plants and they’re coming along fantastically), then we ducked over to Panera for dinner and took off to my parent’s house for the evening.
Anybody want to guess what happens when you live in a state with very few restrictions on pyrotechnics and have parents who live on 3 acres in the middle of nowhere in a town who’s only ordinance related to fireworks is “don’t burn stuff down”?
Fireworks. Lots of them.
We got some kick butt fireworks this year. My hands-down favorites were the “Happy Lamp,” a firework you tie to a tree, light up, and watch it spins and explodes, revealing a gorgeous Chinese-style paper lantern. Lot’s of “oooohs” and “aaaahhhhhs” over that one.
Then there were these fireworks we called “cloud punchers.” They’re these unassuming cardboard pyramids that (after you light them up) spin in a shower of white sparks, let out this God-awful screech that’s sure to test the neighbor’s patience, then shoot about 100 feet into the air… Then you try to figure out where it’s going to land so 
you’re not standing under it.
I took a video, but the level of profanity that it contains probably makes it unsuitable for posting. What can I say? When you think a firework is going to land on you from 100 feet above, a swear word or two will slip out.
By the time we’d burned through our stockpile of pyrotechnics, it was well after 11. I’m not sure who was happier when we finished… Eggplant, who was dead on his feet but adamant he didn’t need sleep, or the neighbors. I’m glad we stayed up though. We’d have missed the moonrise. The moon was as copper as a penny and so gorgeous.
The next morning (the real July 4th) my parents came through again we explored Woodstock, Vermont. It’s a small little New England town that I’ve been to dozens of times, but has all these cute little local shops and bakeries and is just generally fun to explore. Tourists love it because it looks like something off of a postcard. I love it because they have one of my favorite niche jewelry stores in the world… Cases and cases of Roman glass, opals, spiritual jewelry… It’s my dream come true. My parents actually got me a gorgeous cuff bracelet that has the Kalachakra symbol with the Om Mani Padme Hum mantra etched around it in coral, turquoise, and lapis, as well as two statues of Laughing Buddha for my desk to help me with my continuing efforts to Feng Shui my new desk.
On the way to our quick lunch at a local Italian place, we stopped at an antique mall. Sometimes I can find some great things, like random Disney souvenirs from decades ago, and other times I find not-so-great things… Like a toilet seat lid lacquered with dead seahorses and seashells.
Today was not one of the days with great finds. Though, if I need a plastic shrunken head with hair taped onto it for $8, I know where to go. However, my son did find one of those old “Star Wars” games from the arcade and he blew up the Death Star on his second try… I’m so proud.
By the time the we got home, the two other boys were over to spend July 4th evening with us. My parents rounded them all up and took them for ice cream (by themselves… They’re insane!), then we had dinner and more fireworks with two of the three boys (one didn’t finish dinner and didn’t feel like doing fireworks). We started in the yard with some little sparklers, charcoal snakes, and a pile of glow sticks (the town I live doesn’t allow for much else… Probably for the best considering the events at my parents house…), then we walked to the center of town to watch the city fireworks.
Not going to lie, I was pretty impressed… For a small town, we have a rockin display. A rockin display that started 45 minutes late and we had to leave before the end of so we could make it back in time for my husband to go to work… But a great display nonetheless.
Two nights of being up until midnight did take it’s toll though. I was pretty ready for bed by the time it was all done.
July 4th is fun, but I by Sunday, I was ready to just relax.
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