How did you celebrate the 4th of July? Or, did you celebrate? As I was growing up, and pretty much every year until 1991, our family celebrated by watching my Uncle Ted fry fish, and Aunt Pearl fret over details of what ever she was fixing (usually the concoction that they rolled the fish in before frying--in her lovely white enamel dish pan)...they were such fun!
We celebrated by making sure there was a birthday cake, and many family members present--for it was Grandma Sisk's birthday! She was born July 4, 1904--and she loved to celebrate, the birth of our country, her birthday, and life! I remember her as hilarious, she truly enjoyed life!--We would sometimes laugh so hard that we would cry!
On Grandma's 80th birthday, her cake was long and narrow, and the icing was situated in a way that made the whole cake look like a bouquet of long-stemmed roses, she loved it! Her younger brother and his family came that particular year to help celebrate, too.
I remember him, Uncle Bob, as being the 'celebrity of the family', for he was sheriff in his county! I remember visiting him once at his court house and leaving scared out of my mind--someone had actually found and shot a bear, then had it stuffed. This stuffed black bear was then encased in glass in the foyer of the court house--YIKES!
Except for the laughter, our Celebrations were pretty much low-key, every one got along and seemed genuinely happy to be together...over the years, this ritual of the frying of the fish moved from park to park throughout Southern Illinois, and a few times at the home of either Uncle Ted & Aunt Pearl or Uncle Jack & Aunt Jackie...no one seemed to mind having the whole family over, mostly because we all loved the fist. (My Uncle Ted owned and operated the 'fish market' in Cave-in-Rock, Illinois during these years--so fish were easy to get, I suppose)
Our family didn't celebrate yesterday by frying fish, or even cooking out. We are all transitioning to new living spaces. So, instead of cooking, we ate out together, shopped for things one of our daughter's needed for her apartment. Then the rest of us looked at things we are going to need at our new house...the twins have been in church camp all week, so they missed this excursion!
Of course, when the ten of us are together, it's always a celebration!
We are thankful to live in freedom, in a country where we can worship as we choose, our Mighty God. Living in a place where we have freedom to speak or write what is on our minds...keeping in mind the responsibility that comes with those freedoms. There are many things 'not right' with this country of ours, but brave men and women have given their lives in order for us to be able to live as we wish and celebrate how we wish.
America is a blessing to us...we need to remember to be thankful. If you have served in the military and you are reading this: THANK YOU, for serving. THANK YOU for your sacrifice.
And, "Thank YOU, Lord, for the gift of memory, and for my family--many of whom are with You now...Thank YOU, LORD, for blessing my life to be able to live in this country, at this time in history...Please God, Bless America, again."
2 comments:
Thanks for sharing, Marsha! Great memories and great thoughts on the 4th!
Marsha, all these years and I never knew your family owned the Cave-in-Rock fish market! I remember it so clearly. "Everybody else's" mother bought fish there, fried it, and served it with hush puppies. My mother didn't do fish, not in her kitchen, although she dearly loved to eat it if someone else fixed it. Fun memories.
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