July 4, Happy Independence Day

Love this day. Love the USA. Love that my Joy serves our country as a public servant in DC. Love that her Mike does the same. They met each other after moving there five years ago- he from law school and she as a Truman Fellow after graduating from college. They may even be on The Mall tonight to hear the National Symphony and watch the fireworks over the Potomac.

It’s a good day for water fun, for good music, for learning more about our national history, for eating S’mores. Joy makes a fabulous S’more Pie, which is essentially a graham cracker crust with chocolate ganache filling and broiled marshmallow topping. Soooooo good!

We usually eat something with blueberries—cereal, or pound cake with blueberries and strawberries, or pudding parfaits made with sugar-free vanilla or white chocolate pudding and layered with straw and blueberries. Yum. Not as yum as S’more Pie however. But perhaps more patriotic in appearance.

At the end of the day just before dark (which is about 9 p.m. where we live) we cover all exposed flesh with mosquito repellant, pour a big Diet Coke over ice, unpack the camp chairs and move to the front lawn. From there we have a great view of the fireworks which are sponsored by our city and which originate at the city park less than two miles from our house. Perfect ending to the day. Unless you go inside at 10:30 and then watch the DVR’d Fourth of July celebrations from NY and Boston. Or need to comfort a traumatized Sheltie named Scooter who hates thunder, lightning and fireworks.