Fourth of July, like Thanksgiving, is one of those wonderful holidays that invokes images of family gathering for a good meal and good time – relaxed, without a commercial gift buying focus.
When I was a kid, and my dad was still alive (he passed when I was 6 years old) we often would have a picnic at Dorothea Dix State Park in Hampden, Maine. At that time, and on limited resources, a picnic in the park was a very big deal. Passing under the stone entry arch was entering into a special place of fun. The grills were metal boxes on a pole with a wire style top. Put the charcoal in the open front of the box, hamburgers and hot dogs on top once the coals were glowing red and gray. Add some Kool Aid, Humpty Dumpty chips, and mum’s potato salad with lots of green olives in it (she knew not to skimp on the olives) and seven of us around a 6 person picnic table.
Lunch was sometimes followed by various strangers all picnicking in the park coming together in the small softball field for a game after lunch. Pack it all back in the car and head for home, with sparklers in the evening creating our own form of sky writing right in front of our eyes.
I hope you and your families have lots of sparklers and fun today. Happy 4th of July!
Gloria
Baby Boomer Memories
