Another spectacular Independence Day

The 5K goes in front of our street and one neighbor has music and tables set out for family and friends for buffet breakfast. For the second year in a row I've been invited inside to get food and welcomed to eat and watch the runners and cheer them on. It's a grand way to start the day. I also got to see the beehives in their backyard with other neighbors for the first time and was given a bag of apricots from their tree. Jackets were needed at 7:30 a.m. and again at 9:30 p.m. I then walked to the plaza for the spectacular two-hour parade. It was announced there was an ice cream social at a museum close by but the announcer must have looked on last year's notes because another family and I waited in vain. However, I did invite them to church. By then I was ready to walk home and swim laps for 30 minutes and play another 10. I was then able to stop by my next-door neighbor to Google chat with my daughter's family! I was so glad and grateful for that hour. Their youngest turns one this month. Back home I decided to go ahead and walk back downtown to hear live music with the community, for 2-1/2 hours. On the way I stopped at a friend's home and was able to Facetime my oldest son's family! I was so happy and excited. The boys showed me toys they liked and I quizzed one about which country we are independent of and the reason we celebrate. I left the music about 8:30 p.m. to be back at my neighbor next door to watch fireworks from their yard and was asked if I wanted ice cream with homemade apple pie. Yes! I did. So for almost an hour we visited and watched the fireworks together, two couples and three of us single women. I was then happy to find A Capitol Fourth on PBS at 10 p.m. after I brought in Old Glory. What a great show and tradition. I crawled into bed at 11:30 grateful and feeling very blessed to celebrate Independence Day.