Welcome to my favorite month!

I know, I know... I've been MIA for a few weeks. Believe it or not, blogging takes a lot of time. Nevertheless, sorry for neglecting you.

Now, on to better things -

I would like to welcome my favorite month of the entire year...

JULY!

I love July! Everyday in July is my favorite day. I celebrate them all. When I was younger, I loved July because it was as far away from school on both ends as I could get. Not that I didn't like school, but I certainly loved the summer. And now, I just love it because it's summertime.

July also hosts a few really good holidays, namely Independence Day, Pioneer Day, and my BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Have you ever seen the movie, Sandlot? The 4th of July scene in that movie is kinda like how mine were growing up. The entire neighborhood came out to celebrate it together. In SD, it's legal to buy wicked cool fireworks and set them off in the country or in the neighborhood. Going to the firework stand usually happened on or around the first of the month, and it was a big deal. I can remember driving out of town to the fireworks stand, the smoky smell of explosives, and the shiny wrappers with Chinese writing. We would scour the isles to find the coolest best fireworks and then compare when we got home. The next four evenings consisted of night games and fireworks. We shot roman candles, had tank wars, conglomerated rockets out of PCP pipe in order to maximize bottle rocket and black cats, threw snaps, and lit up roses and fountains and sparklers.

On the Fourth, American flags graced every doorstep and families came out for picnics. In the evening around dusk, everyone would head to the banks of the Big Sioux River to secure the cheapest seats for the fireworks show put on by the Empire Fairgrounds near the airport. Oooooooohs followed by Aaaaaaaaaawes slipped from our lips as lights danced with bangs in the sky. When I was really little, the sounds scared me, but I never admitted it then. On an Independence Day when I was in school, I wrote a poem to capture the moments of the day and express the patriotic feelings I felt. If I can find it, I'll post it.

Awe, so there's a little memory lane for ya. As for the present, I don't really have plans for the Fourth, but I'm sure it will entail a BBQ and fireworks shows. I'm definitely residing in the right place for this holiday.

Let July begin!!!!