I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy...

Happy Days are here again! Yesterday, July 4th, I hit the town with flag colors and camera. Met Rayah at Trudy's candy shop, she showed me her flag colors: sandals with red, white and blue curling ribbons, she said it tickled her toes. She had on big white plastic sunglasses. She made me laugh, saying: 'I got it all at the dollar store'. Rayah is so creative, she was styling. Trudy was very busy with all her kids, selling candy.

I went out to a crowded Main St., everyone was getting ready for the parade. I've never seen the town so full of people. Young and old, men with video cameras, moms with baby carriages, all enjoying the beautiful fun-filled day. Local reporters from the Eureka Television & Spanish channel stations were filming in front of my friend Nancy's 'Times Remembered' shop.

Then it began, the most decorated, wildly anticipated event of the day: 'The Fourth of July parade'. Everyone was excited, looking at all the colorful floats. The 'Shriner Hospital' clowns gave candy to the kids, as they honked and drove in tiny cars. The band played Americana tunes like: 'I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy, Yankee Doodle do-or-die, a real, live nephew of my Uncle Sam, born on the Fourth of July'. That's my favorite song for this great day. It makes one feel so patriotic. My next favorite: 'I'm proud to be an American, cause at least I know I'm free'. Don't get me started or I'll start singing all my favorites right here and now.

The most beautiful float I saw was our friend Ellie's (local artist), she drives her 1950's Chevy in every parade. This Fourth of July, she drove her Chevy, and she was wearing a gorgeous white top hat decorated with sparklers of red & blue, on the front, in sparkly-silver was written 'Happy Birthday', Wow!, it was awesome. I yelled, "Ellie!", she waved and I snapped her picture. Surprised, I saw our 'sister- in-Christ' Diane!, she's involved with all kinds of Senior groups (Tai-chi,etc). She looked so cute with her 'senior sisters' doing a jig and playing a tambourine, you guessed it, I took a picture of her, also. Last, but not least, there was a Mexican band called 'El Conjunto', young guys playing cymbals and guitars. I was skipping alongside them, snapping a picture, and they shook their heads, smiling (reminded me of my nephews).The last float was the Boy Scouts with a make-shift missile with 'Freedom' on it. Hum, I thought, mixed crowd, oh well. I had a wonderful time, walking and taking pictures of it all.

I finally caught up with Rayah & her mom, Heidi, and we shared the joy of watching a great parade. Andy & I had a relaxing afternoon of hot dogs & waffle fries. We went to Joe's house and watched a movie, the great Alfred Hitchcock classic 'Rear Window' with Jimmy Stewart & Grace Kelley, it was charmingly mysterious.

When I think of 'American Freedom', I picture Norman Rockwell's Freedom posters... Freedom from fear: Two boys, secure in bed with parents watching over them, in the dad's hand a newspaper:(during WWII).Freedom from want: Thanksgiving Day dinner with all the family.Freedom of Religion: Depicts all creation (to me ) as one.Freedom of Speech: A farmer speaking at a town meeting.

Hope: You all enjoy the great freedoms of living in this wonderful country.From: Our 'Freedom-loving'
Front Porch to yours...Ana & Andy.
Credit: One Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all..

Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord, and the people he has chosen for his inheritance...Psalm 33:12.