Two Birthdays--Twice the Fun

Whenever the Fourth of July rolls around, I always get a little nostalgic. Growing up, my family lived a short distance from the high school football stadium where the fireworks display was held. On the evening of the Fourth of July, my parents would round up all five kids and gather blankets, a cooler with chilled sodas, a few gooey peanut butter sandwiches, and we would all walk, albeit slowly, to the stadium. We would lay on our little backs on that warm summer night and watch the fireworks with lots of ooohs and aaahs. And they seemed to last forever. It was wonderful.

Since those childhood days and through the years, Mike and I haven’t done much on this holiday. Occasionally, there was a short vacation including the Fourth of July; but more often than not, it was a work day following the celebration and that meant getting up early the next day. Rarely, did we drive to the firework location and stay up late to watch.

Our retirement and new lifestyle have given us the time to again enjoy this holiday. This year we’re on the Oregon Coast and fireworks light up the night sky on the beaches. Without the stress and hurry-up that goes along with a career and work-life, suddenly, I’m a kid again--enjoying the fireworks with lots of ooohs and aaahs. And it’s wonderful.

Plus, it’s my mother’s birthday (pictures of my family/mom on the right; picture of mom below--she's 77 today--doesn't she look great?). I mean, really, can you have a better day for your birthday? When she was a kid, she must have thought the fireworks were all about her. How great is that?

Happy Birthday, Mom.

Happy Birthday, America.

I love you, both.

Year 1 - 2010: All Lined Up

Almost ready to ride off into the sunset. 2010 is all planned and the locations reserved. The maps show our route. So much to do and see. The following years are loosely laid out right now and the sequencing may be changed--possibly heading straight over to Florida in 2011 and weave our way back to the west.

Year 2010 - Oregon and California coastline (see maps)

Year 2011 - Arizona and Utah

Year 2012 - Wyoming (Grand Tetons), Colorado, and New Mexico

Year 2013 - Texas and the Midwest (Ozarks, Branson)

Year 2014 - Louisiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee

Year 2015 - Alabama, Georgia, and Florida (way down to Key West)

Year 2015 - New England and the Carolinas

Year 2016 - Catch up on the places missed and re-visit the favorites

Purchasing a home won't happen until our "later" years or we simply want to put down roots.