Fourth of July

For once in my life, I am disappointed that it is raining. I love the Fourth of July, LOVE IT! When I lived in Chicago, I loved this holiday more than any other day on the calender. It always turned into this week-long outdoor celebration. My friends and I would take the train downtown and spend an entire day at the Taste of Chicago, gorging ourselves on sunshine, food and live music. I hate crowds, but I never minded the crowds of Chicago- I don't know why.

Generally, July 3rd would find us at Navy Pier for the shopping, Ferris Wheel and fireworks. With the lake on one side and the most beautiful skyline in the world on the other, you'd be hard pressed to find a more perfect place to spend a summer day.

And then came the 4th- our suburb's local Independence Day celebration. I would get up early and start baking various sugary items, while others provided the chips, snacks, etc. We'd all crash out by my friend's backyard pool for a few hours, then make the two mile hike to park in time for the parade, followed by the carnival and fireworks. By that time, our group would have expanded to twenty or thirty people on picnic blankets up as close to the fireworks as possible. Ice fights, water balloons, and giggling were the main themes until dusk, when we would finally start on the rides. From the top of the Ferris Wheel and the Zipper, you could see the fireworks from the surrounding cities and the Chicago skyline all lit up. Our fireworks were always the last scheduled suburban shows, so there was plenty of time to get back to our picnic site. When we were older, everyone would pile into cars after the fireworks and head for Lake Michigan to sit on the beach and gaze up at the stars.

It's been six years since I spent a summer in Chicago, but those memories are as clear in my head as what I ate for breakfast this morning. I've tried to recreate that easy fun down here, but I've never quite made it. This year, the rain seems to have foiled my plans yet again. Either that, or my own ridiculously high standards for what the holiday should be.

Happy 4th of July!