4th of July

Trash, trash, and more trash. Today we found General Motors manuals dating back to the 50's. Also threw out some flares with a date of 1958. No kidding. These flares came from the trunk of the car Mom and Dad were driving in the accident. Seriously, would these flares have worked if needed? Had Dad been moving them from car to car for almost 50 years? We found a World Geography (History?) textbook published in 1928. Dad's name was on there first, then Uncle Bill's. The best thing found was Dad's baby book. It included his wrist bracelet (Boy Breidenbach), made of cloth, and a lock of hair from his first haircut. How cool was this--even more cool that he saved it for 83 years.

I am taking some of Mom's blouses to a lady next week who said she could make a quilt out of them. We went through all of Mom's blouses and picked out the best ones. The older, faded ones we will donate to Good Will. I feel better not throwing out all of her clothes. It made it a little easier knowing I would still have a few of her clothes in this way. Charter Club, Sag Harbor, Style & Co., Eddie Bauer, Liz Claiborne. Those were the brand names. Mostly stripes and checks. Mom wasn't really into frilly or flowery clothes.

Today was the 4th of July. Last year I remember being on the front porch with Dad when this jet flew over. It was supposed to do a fly over during the parade, but they had the time wrong. So we were just standing there talking and this jet flew over.

Usually we would get fireworks and let them off in the backyard at I Street. We always had fireworks growing up. I always loved it. At some point John started going to Tennessee to get illegal ones. Bottle rockets, firecrackers, roman candles and "fiesta balls". These were little "shells" you loaded in a tube and shot up in the sky. From then on, we always did fireworks at Mom and Dad's except for the one year they were in MN. John came up last year. Mom liked the fountains the best. She'd get her lawn chair and sit on the patio or up in the yard some. She just watched. But Dad wanted to be part of the action. He never lit them off, but he always shined a flashlight on the fuses for us and provided various size boards to set the fireworks on. And a bucket with water if needed. Then he would always clean up. He would always say he'd take care of it the next day in the daylight. That was like Dad. He wanted to make us all happy. Although we are adults in our 40's, John and I still liked to do fireworks. I realized this year that what we really liked was doing it for Mom and Dad. I didn't buy any this year. It just wasn't the same. There was no need this year, although I would have done it for Susan's Dad if he had wanted. We had been doing it for her mom and dad the last few years. But Emma passed away in October, so she wasn't here anymore, either. I think Mom and Dad liked it--I hope they did. I didn't even watch the town fireworks this year. Nothing is the same anymore. Time, I guess, for new traditions.