HAPPY 242nd BIRTHDAY AMERICA

Up early to get this special day started. Happy 242nd birthday America !!!
After we got chores done and had breakfast hubbie and I headed over to pick up daughter ,son-in-love and IR to go with us down the mountain to Columbus,NC where they are having a celebration all day on the streets of this small town . We want to get there early because it is about 10 degrees hotter down there than here and it is already getting hot here.
It was a really nice little celebration they had and we enjoyed it very much.

There was a street filled with old cars and I found a car just like the one I remembered my mom and dad delivering newspapers in for many years. It was a 1963 Corvair..

We didn't find much to buy from any of the vendors but we sure enjoyed the music provided by these folks while we were there.

The kids enjoyed the rides especially dare devil g-son who had met us there with his mom and sister.

RL isn't much of a ride rider at this age and wanted off these swings as soon as they started moving even with brother right beside her and then she wouldn't ride anything else.

D-in-love left and went on to her mom's house for a celebration lunch with her family and daughter's family, hubbie and I  went down the street to a little restaurant to have an early lunch.
IR got to touch her first buffalo while we waited for our food.

The food was very good but the service was very slow and we didn't leave there until 12:45 after getting there at 11:20 !!!
We drove up the mountain from a temperature in Columbus of 96 to a temp at our place of 86.
The clouds started to look pretty bad so I went up to the garden even in the heat of the day and picked my half runner beans.

Sitting out in the covered patio breaking the beans brought back floods of memories of past July 4ths when this is what I was always doing.

When I grew up we didn't have any celebrations or fireworks on this day it was pretty much understood that this was bean picking and breaking day.
Also even when my kids were younger we always would take them to Jackson Park to watch the fireworks display at night but all day would have been spent canning green beans. And even in recent years there is greens beans in my July 4th activities.
After the beans were broke I didn't have time to can them today so I put them in the frig and iced 6 more caramel cakes for tomorrow . I have been taking orders and need these extra 6 cakes instead of waiting until Saturday to take them.
After the cakes were iced I did the weekly paperwork and paid bills since I won't be home until later tonight.
While I was out of the kitchen hubbie made slaw and chili for the cookout at Aa's house this evening.
We got chores done early and headed over to their house to meet up with the rest of the family and some friends for a wonderful time of good food, fellowship and fireworks.

And just like last year just as we finished eating a shower of rain came up and ran everyone inside for a few minutes but was quickly gone leaving clear skies.
RL was scared and had to go home with her mom as soon as the fireworks started popping.
And I remember this little girl, EL, sitting in my lap and making me hold her ears last year but she was really enjoying them this year.

 It's amazing what a difference a year makes !!
We got home around 9:30 and I got cakes cut and wrapped for market before heading to bed.
Thankful for a wonderful fun and family filled day and thankful for all the folks who have fought  to give us the freedoms we have in this country as she get another year older.
God Bless , Good Night and Happy Independence Day