Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Getting Ready For The 4th

Because of our school calendar, the Fourth Of July holiday represents the midpoint of our summer season. We're getting ready for the holiday. The banks are closed and I'm off tomorrow. Woo-hoo!!!

It's been a busy summer so far. Ashleigh, John and Jessica all attended Student Life Camp in Black Mountain, NC. Ashleigh worked on staff at a Student Life Camp in Myrtle Beach, SC. John and Jessica helped staff our church's Vacation Bible School. Next week Cindy and Jessica will travel to Kansas City, MO, for a conference. Later in the month John and Jessica will help staff a local sports camp, and Ashleigh will work on staff at one more Student Life Camp in Lynchburg, VA. Sounds like a lot of stuff going happening here, huh?

So.... in the middle of all that.... the holiday. We're not quite sure what to do yet. Sleeping in late is a given. So is firing up the grill. Around noon I suppose we'll turn on the TV and try to catch the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Championship from Coney Island. It's been televised for the past two years. It's quite possibly the grossest thing I've ever witnessed (much worse than anything the producers of "Fear Factor" ever imagined), but I just can't tear myself away. We also always try to watch "Pops Goes The Fourth" from Boston, but it's not always televised here. Maybe some day we will score some VIP seats from Maestro Lockhart (we are, after all, Phi Mu Alpha brothers from Furman days), but I won't hold my breath.

At some point before, during or after the celebrating, I hope we can all take some time to reflect on the history of Independence Day. I found this really cool website on the Declaration of Independence. http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/ It contains some interesting biographical information on the signers.

When I was child, my family watched the Red Skelton show every week (that was a time, of course, when parents could view prime time network television with their children without wincing at least three times per half-hour). Recently I came across the following commentary on the Pledge Of Allegiance by Red Skelton. http://www.spiritisup.com/pledgeofallegiance.html Food for thought... I hope we all have a safe and happy Independence Day. Let's go Red Sox!

3 comments:

Jen Whisonant said...

Busy, busy! We'll miss firing up the grill with you all on the fourth! Ya'll need to come down - in between all the business! There's a monster hill that starts with our house at the top of the hill that our neighbors say only 2 runners are brave enough to tackle!!!

Rick & Cindy Shideler said...

I'll take my hot dog with a little chilli and cheese on top. If I don't make it by to eat, just be inspired by the little Japanese dude that ate 54 hotdogs last year in 12 minutes and eat mine. :-) Miss you bro. Happy 4th.

Jen Whisonant said...

Okay, I saw some of the warm up stuff yesterday for that hot dog scarf-up and YUCK!!!!! Happy Fourth!