Happy Birthday America!

Like many, we have holiday traditions.  With the 4^th of July fast approaching, I pulled out the bin filled with all the stars and stripe decorations…….’antiqued’ flags, framed needle-punched flag, RWB quilts and pottery, staircase banners, and last but never least……HBO’s 2008 award winning miniseries ADAMS, with its all-star cast featuring Paul Giamatti as John Adams. HBO did a fantastic job, as does Giamatti portrayal of John Adams and Laura Linney as Abigail Adams.  This is a well crafted historical look at events leading up to the Declaration of Independence and the political challenges and personal struggles and sacrifices of our founding fathers. It’s a wonderful look at the diversity of deep opinions within the original 13 colonies as they debated how to proceed, working together to reach consensus. Congressmen and Senators in Washington today could benefit from watching this today.

I like to reflect on those times.  I feel I should.  Each year we re-watch ADAMS  leading up to July 4th......like watching CHRISTMAS VACATION in December.  One of my favorite parts is the relationship between once fellow patriots and adversaries John Adams and Thomas Jefferson (I've always had a crush on TJ) that grew into a respected friendship in their later years.  They corresponded via mail in their later years.  They died within five hours of each other on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. On that day they were the last surviving members of the original framers of our new democracy.…..believing in the principals of LIFE, LIBERTY, and THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.

We will celebrate the 4^th with our neighbors, alongside friends and other neighbors gathering on their lawn to watch late evening fireworks display.  Tom takes great enjoyment in putting his pyrotechnic masterpiece together.  The kids will enjoy sparklers preceding the big event…..the dogs will not be so thrilled about any of it.  With all neighbors attending, there won’t be a noise complaint involving the police.

Years ago my quilt group did a quilt challenge….what does freedom mean to me?  We created a wonderful variety of quilts, all expressing our USA pride in one way or another.  I researched quotes that held special meaning to me, and carefully hand wrote them in antique brown ink on tea stained fabric, incorporating them into my design.  A snippet of the quilt is below……

Late July all things Red White and Blue will go back into the bin, tucked away until next year.  Until then……God Bless America……….

“My God!  How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!”     Thomas Jefferson