Minneapolis
Hi,
This is the day before our countries 237th Birthday.
Be sure to fly your flag!
Hope all have plans to celebrate this one.
How do you place 273 candles on a cake?
The weather forecast for this celebration is and starting out A-Ok.
Doris and I have no plans but are remembering many happy fourth's in our less than 273 years.
Our family members will be spread far and wide this holiday. Some of them at the lake, some are camping, Some are enjoying picnic activities with there families and we shall just relax and enjoy the day.
Living downtown offers many celebration's here at home, in Minneapolis, At the Twins Game, and across the skyline from our 14th floor loft. We shall enjoy and remember past 4th with our family and friends.
It has been several years since we sold our RV and we are happy with our new less stressful packing, traveling, visiting, traffic and back home. Short trips for the two of us are great and relaxing. As we have aged and retired the thrill of a three or four day week end has faded and we are content to watch the traffic rather than in it, via the six o'clock news.
We are thinking about our usual trip to the Carlson Cousin's annual get together in the Madison area somewhere. This year we suddenly remembered that we have not strayed from home for a overnighter since the last Cousin's picnic in 2009. Are we getting old or what!
We hope some of the Carlson's Cousins will e-mail us with the date and place of this years event.
My memories of the fourth go clear back to Milwaukee where I was born. Back then, most families spent this day at a neighborhood park. There were games and boy's bicycle, doll and stroller parades for those sweet little girls and always the band concert somewhere everyone could hear even if you couldn't see it. Some parks had a lagoon and the older kids and their gals would rent a boat or a canoe and paddle around for a hour for 25 cents. Many "World War One veterans" were unemployed and they rode bikes equipt with a metal box full of dry Ice and packed frozen Pop-cicles of many flavors and ice cream bar's. The container had a big sign painted on it that proudly stated "Soldier Boy's" and they sold for a Buffalo Nickle.
Most of the people in the park walked from their homes as most cars were up on wood blocks in those depression years. Later after the home made lunch had been devoured and when the sun had set for the day, there were the long awaited fireworks show. Every family headed for their favorite place in the park to spread their blankets to anticipate and see the show. The show was equally shared with billions of mosquitoes and ants feeding on sticky kids who mostly went unwashed the entire day. The sidewalks were filled in all directions with neighbors and friends heading home with sleeping kids in carriages and wagons. The street car stops were filled with those who used these these electric marvels to travel longer distances. Adults fare was a nickle and kids rode free. Families of that era mostly spent holidays together no matter how far the walk or ride. Just imagine the trip home by foot or by street car with a bunch of tired and by now crabby kids, most with dirty pants and diapers, some crying, some sleeping, and some carried. We called these the "good old days".
A bit of humor;
A woman sitting sitting at a bar when a tall handsome middle aged man entered. He was so striking she could not keep her eyes of him. The man walked toward her. Before she could offer apologies for staring so rudely, he leaned over and whispered to her "ill do anything, absolutely anything that you want me to do, no matter how kinky, for $20.00... on one condition." Flabbergasted, she asked what the condition was. The man replied, "You have to tell me what you want me to do in three words." The woman considered his proposition for a moment, removed a 20 from her purse, pressed it into the man's hand along with her address. She looked deeply into his eyes , slowly and meaningful said: "Paint my house".
Our New e-mail address for those who have not changed your address book is
e.james.battenberg@comcast.net.
We like to hear you from our friends
Jim and Doris
