Another 4th of July without Mom and Dad. John called this week. He was feeling down because people were letting off fireworks and he thought of how we all used to gather for a fireworks "show". Mom liked the fountains and Dad liked the "artillery shells".

When we were kids, we would go over to Uzal and Dorothy Johnson's house for the 4th. They lived where the new pool is now. Back then, the city fireworks were let off at Wilson Park and you could see them from Uzal and Dorothy's house. Every year, Uzal would get a TON of fireworks--both legal and illegal. It was so much fun.

So then later on, John started going to Tennessee to get fireworks. Sometimes we went to "The Forty" with the Drehobls on the 4th. After they started selling the good stuff in Indiana, I used to go buy it and John would come home so we could let it off in the back yard. I'm probably repeating my post from last year, I don't know. Anyway, Dad would always have pieces of board ready so we could have a flat surface for these things. And a bucket of water to put the used ones in. Mom would sit in her lawn chair and watch. After we were done, he would always clean up. I think they enjoyed it. They seemed to. So it was always our thing--letting off fireworks. Both John and I agreed we mostly did it for them because neither one of us wants to do it anymore.

Tonight we went up the street and watched the city fireworks from the Church. I remember Dad and I doing this a few times.

Holidays are still strange without Mom and Dad. Even if we didn't do much, I still always spent the day with them. I miss them very much.

Love,
Susie