Fantastic Fourth of July from  wompuss!

I'm sure your family has it's own way of celebrating the Fourth of July. We always think of fireworks, displaying "Old Glory", good food and good company at holiday time.

Our family has celebrated Independence Day at my Uncle L. C.'s re-built log cabin on the Tenn-Tom waterway for many years now. Though originally a family reunion of sorts, the gathering now is of some family and a lively mixture of friends. The log cabin has come to represent these times of celebration. Many nights during the year, local musicians congregate to "pick and sing" country and gospel tunes while those of us in the family who are in attendance are sometimes lucky enough to have cameo performances with the local musicians. My rendition of "Blue Kentucky Girl" was particularly well-received.

One year on the Fourth of July, our state senator, Roger Wicker, and his family honored us by  joining us at the cabin.

Food is always a big part of our celebrations. Most years each person brings his or her specialty in a brightly wrapped basket of some sort or another. There's always a variety to choose from ~ Mummy's fried chicken, Aunt Marie's ham, Aunt Margaret's chocolate pies, Cousin Jessica's famous chocolate chip cookies. Somehow or another, Aunt Marie and Mummy always manage to find butter beans (my favorite) and corn on the cob (my son's favorite).

After "eating a bate" of food, we tend to break off into groups of interest. There's always storytelling or singing or both in the main room of the cabin. The younger children play softball or frisbee in the yard. A few retire to the loft or bedroom for naps. Some water enthusiasts among us take the short walk to the waterway for skiing, jet-skiing or just a boat ride.

As dusk falls, my younger cousins get eager to show off their skills with  bottle rockets, sparklers, or some other such noisemaker. Later in the evening, the Tenn-Tom Park Commission puts on a mighty fine fireworks display over the waterway.

Uncle L.C., ever the adventurer, usually hitches up the tractor to a wagon full of hay for late-evening hay rides around the park and through the surrounding woods. He has also been known to take us for barefoot walks down the cool creeks full of turtles, moss-laden logs and mosquitoes.

However you and your family spend July 4th, I wish for you half of the fantastic memories I have of our family's gatherings at the cabin.

Click the picture to see the cabin and read about it's history.

Fourth of July links:

• Send a virtual fireworks postcard from Absolutely Victorian Greetings from the heart ~ fantastic!

• Kate.net ~ Katenet's fourth year of bringing you the Fourth of July resources you need

•   ~ My source for the animated fireworks I used for this page. Cat also offers animated flags.
  

• Boston's Fourth of July ~ the official headquarters for America's biggest
  Independence Day party. Here you will find almost everything you ever wanted to know about Boston's Fourth of July!

• The Betsy Ross Home Page ~ From the US History Organization, everything from Betsy Ross's life, a virtual tour of her home, to flag laws and etiquette

• California Fourth of July Fireworks Safety ~ The California 4th of July Fireworks Safety Web site is proud to introduce America's Life-Safety Superhero... The Preventor.

Research Sites for Young Adults:

"They're Playing the Star Spangled Banner Somewhere"

Country log cabin graphic courtesy of:

Thank you, Lisa. It's perfect!

Background set courtesy of:

Please continue to offer your free graphics, Heather. They are so lovely.

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