Ten On Tuesday

Around my house the 4th of July is a working holiday. Dale generally has 3 big jobs on this particular day – the parade in Plymouth in the morning, an outdoor concert at a VA hospital in the afternoon, and another outdoor concert at a wonderful setting in Sandwich. Even with all that work, though, we manage to celebrate the 4th of July. Here are our 10 Favorite Things about the Fourth of July.

  1. Fireworks. I mean, really, what’s not to love?
  2. Cook outs. Hamburgers, hot dogs and potato salad. Okay, maybe no potato salad this year since I’m kind of sick of it since we’ve got so much leftover from Dale’s party.
  3. Parades. I love a parade and the one in Plymouth is huge and in a beautiful spot by the ocean.
  4. Decorations. I love buntings and flags and hats and all things red-white-and-blue.
  5. The Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest. I always watch this if I stay home from the parade. So much fun!
  6. The Boston Pops concert on the Esplanade. I’ve never actually gone but I love to watch it on tv. Nobody plays Stars and Stripes Forever like the Boston Pops.
  7. Sparklers. They sure are fun to wave around once it gets dark.
  8. The Sandwich, MA annual boat parade on Shawme Pond. Small boats and floats and canoes and kayaks are decorated with paper lanterns. It’s a tradition that’s over 100 years old and it’s a real slice of Americana.
  9. Ice cream, especially if it comes from an Ice Cream Truck.
  10. Dale and the Duds. Sure, Dale has to work but the music is great and I get to go with him so it’s not all bad. Truthfully, it’s pretty fun.

Can you believe the 4th of July is almost here? What’s your favorite thing about this holiday?


Related Posts

Ten On Tuesday

I know, because of the comments from last week, that many of you enjoy reading…

Ten On Tuesday

Even though I'm a summer girl there are things I like about fall and one…

Ten On Tuesday

I had a wonderful long weekend and I hope you all did, too. Here are…

This Post Has 14 Comments

  2. Well (she says, with embarrassed smile) – it’s my birthday! When I was a child, it was the perfect birthday; a neat half year away from Christmas, a parade, and no one ever forgets the date. In fact, when I was very small, I believed that all that hoopla was just for me. Even when I noticed that no one else had a parade on their birthday, I still thought it was for me! Now I’ve reached an age that I wish that people would forget my birthday — but they never do.

  3. We’ve been celebrating the 4th of July with a group of college friends since 1975! At first we would all gather, kids in tow, at our friends house in Vt. People would drive by and think it was a campground there would be so many tents and people! When the house was sold we would head to Tanglewood for whatever concert was playing. This year we’re having a house party at my place. The day before the 4th is spent at the my brother’s Ct. beach house. Busy weekend!!

  4. Sadly the drought is so bad this year that fireworks are banned and the stands are shut down. Even the military bases and Six Flags have cancelled their fireworks shows. I did get to stand on a highway bridge once and watch the Boston Pops performance. It was awesome! The fireworks were beautiful. It was a fun year. DH and I went on the USS Constitution annual turn-around cruise.

  5. great list, carole – how in the world did I forget ICE CREAM!!!! tagging along with dale sounds like a fun way to spend the day (but I’m guessing july 5th isn’t always a good time, is it?!)

  6. What a great list! I’d have to add spending the day on the water … last year we watched the fireworks (up at the lake house) from the back of the boat, it was delightful. One of the best parts of the day is people watching, too! Nothing better than watching people have a great time. I got to watch the Boston fireworks one year from the top of the Museum of Science roof … it was spectacular – the traffic to get home? Not so much 🙁 But it was worth it!!

  7. You know how to celebrate! We just hide in the house away from the heat and wish the fireworks would stop. I wouldn’t mind some homemade potato salad and a big brew to help with the day. Oh, and hearing Dale and the Duds would be a great way to end the day!

  10. Aww the boat parade sounds neat. I’ve never

    My favorite thing about the Fourth:
    Watching the fireworks with the babies at work…..we can see them out the north and east windows…..baby’s first fireworks. AHh nightshift has its advantages.

  11. I love dinner outside any day, but on the Fourth I’ll make something more decadent than my usual simple menu. My oldest will bake a pie (we’ve had your blueberry in the past!) and we just hang. This year we’re hiking to a yurt, so no sparklers!

  14. I went to the most fun fireworks ever this past Saturday. A friend told me about a local display that is held at an assisted living facility that used to be a college for women (my mother-in-law graduated form it) and I joined her and another friend. They had a fabulous band (they are all medical personnel from a local mental health hospital and they call themselves Mood Swings, which is just too funny) and we picniced on the lawn and then they had a great fireworks display that was so close you almost felt like you could touch them. I think this one will become my new tradition!

Comments are closed.

Back To Top