4th of July

Today is Independence Day, also called 4th of July, a day we celebrate our nation's independence from Europe with patriotic parades and cook-outs.

Last year we had several friends over for drinks and appetizers, went to watch the Doo Dah parade, came back for a cook-out, then went to see the fireworks.  It was great fun but also a lot of planning and work.

So this year we kept it simple.  Our buddies Steven & Thad came over for a snack, we watched the Doo Dah parade, we had a cook-in, and skipped the local fireworks.  Instead, we watched them on TV from the comfort of our home.

Spouse & me waiting for the Doo Dah parade to start

MY Independence day

Last Wed was July 4th or Independence Day.  I didn't have time to write what I really wanted to write then, so I'm writing it now.

July 4th is commonly known as Independence Day, where Americans celebrate their independence from Great Britain.  But the week following July 4th is special to me as I think back to MY independence from a religion that controlled my life.

I was raised in the Jehovah's Witness religion, a separatist religion that believes they are the only ones with the TRUE religion.  One of their many unusual teachings is that being gay is a choice and a 'learned behavior'.  Sometime in my 20s I realized that this belief wasn't true.  I'd known I was gay since I was a kid but didn't know any other gay people, so from whom could I have 'learned' this?  

Once I understood the Jehovah's Witness religion was wrong about that teaching I became suspicious of many other teachings with which I was never comfortable, such as shunning.  JWs are taught to shun those who leave the religion, even family members.  They claim they do this to protect the congregation from the sin of the one being shunned, but I always thought it seemed like emotional blackmail to require relatives to shun their family.

On Sat, July 3, 1993, 25 years ago, I met a man at a gay bar who would become my boyfriend. We spent the long, holiday weekend together and I decided then that I would not return to the JW church.

Even though I knew this decision would eventually result in being shunned by my family and friends.

The week following July 4th 25 years ago was glorious as I felt a new sense of freedom I'd never experienced before, and as I spent time with my new boyfriend.

And then came the gut-wrenching meeting with my family where I told them I was gay, I was leaving the JW religion, and that I understood I would be shunned and likely not see or hear from them again. They tried to talk me out of it but my mind was made up.  Everyone cried.

But as hard as it was to do that, I knew it was the right thing for me, and I felt a sense of relief after it was over.  I simply HAD to start becoming my authentic self.

So, 25 years ago, just after Independence Day, was MY independence day.

If interested, you can read my full coming out story here: part I, part II, part III, part IV, part V.

4th of July

Today is Independence Day, otherwise known as the 4th of July.  Spouse & I have invited some friends over for drinks/snacks around 3:30, then we'll watch the Doo Dah parade about 5:00, then return to the house for dinner, then watch the fireworks around 9:00.

The Doo Dah parade is a great little small town parade with everyone and everything draped in red white and blue stars and stripes.  In past years I've driven Big Ella in the parade but am not doing so this year.  The parade is rather long and is hard on Big Ella, causing her engine to get hot and run rough.  So rather than be in the parade, I'll be a spectator this year.

Spouse selected a terrific 'make ahead' menu:  BBQ pulled pork made in the slow cooker, macaroni and cheese made in the pressure cooker, and BBQ baked beans.  For dessert he's making peach/blueberry pies. 

The fireworks should be nice, as this will be the 1st year of "official" City-sanctioned fireworks.  In past years volunteers have supplied and set off fireworks on the beach, which the fire marshal put an end to last year.  I'm hopeful it will be a nice display.

Hope all of you have a FUN and SAFE 4th of July!

Independence Day

Ever since moving to our fair little hamlet I have enjoyed Independence Day/July 4th, mostly because of the Doo Dah Parade.  Click on the Doo Dah Parade tag below this post for more info and posts.  Last year's July 4th was disappointing as the weather threatened rain all day.  I made the executive decision not to drive Big Ella in the parade due to the weather, and sure enough it began to rain as the parade started.  

This year the weather was nearly the same. Steven & Thad had invited a bunch of friends to their house for a cookout which overlapped the timing of the Doo Dah parade so I decided not to drive Big Ella again and we forewent the parade to be at our friends' cookout.  Within minutes of everyone's arrival at the cookout it began to rain so we all went inside.  Poor Steven stood outside with an umbrella to finish cooking the hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken.  But despite having to move the party inside, we all had a good time and the food was delicious.  Spouse made his signature potato salad which everyone loves.

Side note:  for the 2 weeks or so leading up to the cookout I kept referring to it as a "good old fashioned 4th of July BBQ".  In conversation, in texts, in emails, I kept repeating the same exact phrase "good old fashioned 4th of July BBQ".  I felt like a Republican, repeating something over and over again until it becomes recognized! 

July 4th weekend recap

We had a really nice holiday weekend!

Bugsy & Roger were there when we got home from work on Fri and we sat on the screened porch and chatted until dinner time.  The 4 of us met up with Steven & Thad at Fish On! and had a great meal.

Sat morning we walked over to the Farmers Market to poke around, and came home with some fresh blueberries.  Spouse & Roger went to the grocery store while Bugsy and I walked over to the arts show and sale.  I ran into several friends and neighbors which was nice, since I'm rarely off work on Saturdays to attend these kinds of things.  While there I bought this cute stained glass star:

I hung it in the kitchen window where we have other rainbow-colored stained glass pieces:

That evening Spouse & Roger made chicken and beef fajitas with rice and beans for dinner as well as a homemade strawberry/blueberry pie.

Since the weather was so nice we ate on the screened porch.  Steven & Thad came over too and we had a fun evening eating, talking, listening to music, and of course laughing.

Sun morning we had biscotti, scones, English muffins and coffee for breakfast and spent more time on the porch.  Marvin was feeling extra social and sat on Roger's lap.

That evening we had dinner at Jimmy's Grille, a new restaurant with delicious meals and desserts.  Afterward there was more time on the porch.

Mon morning Bugsy & Roger packed up their car and headed home, since they had some plans for the afternoon.  The weather forecast showed a significant chance of showers all day so my plans to drive Big Ella in the Doo Dah parade became less and less certain.  Although we didn't have a drop of rain all day, by 5:00 parade start time it looked as if the skies were going to open up.  Steven & Thad and Spouse & I walked over to the parade route in false optimism, and as soon as we got our chairs set up it began to rain.  Fortunately it wasn't a heavy rain so we sat there and watched the abbreviated parade.  

We had a great visit with our friends and look forward to their next visit.

4th of July

Since Sat was the 4th of July, I got to drive Big Ella in the Doo Dah parade!

This is always fun for a couple reasons.  I love driving Big Ella, people love to look at Big Ella, and she is just a great example of American auto production, and Independence Day celebrates America.

Steve & Thad came over to watch the parade with Spouse, and then the 4 of us had dinner on the screened porch.  Spouse made bacon-wrapped filets, homemade macaroni and cheese, and a broccoli slaw.  For dessert he made a strawberry blueberry peach pie.  Later that evening I slipped away from the group to go perform in the Legends show.

It was a nice day!

Holiday weekend recap

On Fri morning, July 4th, tropical storm Arthur blew through the area.  But my office was open 1/2 day, so I had to dash through the puddles to get to work at 9am.  Arthur was pretty much over by 11am, and the office closed for the holiday at 1pm.  Spouse & I had lunch together and picked up some things from the grocery store.  About 4:30 folks began to arrive at our house to watch the Doo Dah parade, have dinner, and then watch the fireworks.   I took Big Ella for a spin to make sure she was running smoothly, then got into the parade line-up.  Steven & Thad, Joe P, Jack & Alisha, Mike, Dan, and Spouse walked over to the parade route together.  The weather was absolutely dreamy and the parade was really fun, as usual.

Big Ella was a big hit, as she always is at this parade.
Afterward we all returned to the house and had dinner.  Spouse grilled chicken in advance which he warmed up and served with tzatziki, hummus, olives, feta, warm pita bread, and Greek salad.  We ate on the screened porch since the weather was so nice.  It was delicious and a nice change from all the burgers and dogs we'd been eating since Memorial Day.  Joe P brought chocolate cake and apple pie for dessert.  After dinner we drove down the street to the public beach and settled in to watch the fireworks.  They were good, but not as good as last year's.

Sat I had to work again, so Spouse went to the beach with Steven & Thad and Joe P.  Late that afternoon we stopped in briefly at our neighbor's open house (they bought the old church on the corner, gutted it, and turned it into a home) so we could see how it turned out.  It was nice but too stark and modern for my taste.  After that we met up with some other neighbors for a little BBQ.  We took my special barbequed baked beans.  We had a nice time and again, the weather was delicious.

Sun I had to work yet again, but we invited Steven & Thad and Joe P over to eat left-overs from Friday's Greek dinner.  Again we enjoyed being on the screened porch since we knew it was the last "nice day" we'd have for a while.  (Today and tomorrow are scheduled to be well into the 90s.)  

So it was a nice holiday weekend of fun, food, and friends despite my having to work all 3 days.

Independence Day

Happy birthday, America!  I hope you have a fun and safe holiday.

Independence Day in our little town

I don't know if our area is just getting more popular these days, or if the affects of Hurricane Sandy have caused some Jersey shore visitors to come to our shore instead, but there is a TON of people here.  So Spouse & I wisely decided to stay in our own little town (and not drive) today.

We started our morning with coffee and a little TV watching.  Then we each chose a flower bed and spent about 30 minutes weed pulling.  Then we decided to clean the back/screened porch.  First we swept the spider webs, dead ants, and dirt/dust out.  It always amazes me how much dirt and dust and bugs are inside our SCREENED porch.  Then we used a rag and scrub brush to clean off the grey mildew-looking stuff from the white trim.  Surprisingly it came off rather easily.  Spouse was happy to use his new Pocket Hose to rinse the suds off!

After a light lunch (the heat reduces my appetite) and several glasses of cold water, we walked over to the canal to watch the 4th of July decorated boat parade.  We opted for a shady spot further away from the water than most people, feeling we really wanted the shade more than the details of the decorated boats.  Apparently our neighbors Dave & Georgia had the same thought so we joined them on a bench and chatted with them during and after the boat parade ended.

After a brief respite in the air conditioning, I fired up Big Ella and drove her to the gas station to fill up her tank in preparation for the Doo Dah parade.  Steven & Thad came over shortly before 5pm to watch the parade with Spouse.  It was hot, but I drove Big Ella in the parade and had a great time!  People are always so appreciative of Big Ella and I enjoy 'sharing' her with them, which makes it worth it for me to endure the heat.  After the parade I met Spouse and Steven & Thad back at the house and we went up the street to the diner for dinner.  Then we went to the beach to watch the fireworks.  Our town doesn't have an official fireworks display, but several people set up "volunteer" fireworks at the beach at dusk and set them off at dark, providing a non-stop fireworks display for well over an hour.  Fortunately the temperature cooled down and there was a nice breeze at the beach so it was actually very comfortable.

It was a very nice day spent in our little town.  Happy Independence Day everyone!

4th of July highlights

My office was closed yesterday for July 4th but I still "worked" most of the day anyway, just not on real estate.  I cleaned off all the screened porch furniture and cushions, swept the porch, put all the furniture back in place, and gave the wrought iron patio set a fresh coat of white paint.  While I was still hot and sweaty I went ahead and pulled some weeds from the flower beds and watered Spouse's fancy red hydrangeas (which haven't bloomed yet).  Once inside the cool air conditioned house I put away lots of odds and ends, vacuumed the main level and cleaned the kitchen.  All this in preparation for hosting a July 4th cook-out.

Around 4pm Steven & Thad, Joe P, one of the Bobs, Robin & Bill came over.  I decided not to drive Big Ella in the Doo Dah parade because it was just too hot.  I was afraid the extreme heat might cause her to overheat, so we all walked over to the parade route and watched parade instead.  Then everyone can back to the house for the cook-out but we ate indoors.  All that work to clean the porch and repaint the dining set and we ate inside!  But the food was tasty and we had a good time.  Later we rode down to the beach to watch the "volunteer" fireworks.  These fireworks are not paid for or sponsored by the City; they are paid for and set off by private citizens or "volunteers" and they're great!  For more than 90 minutes we were delighted and entertained by fireworks directly in front of us, to our left, to our right, and even across the bay.  It was a fun display.

 

Today I'm off because its my regular day off and we're going to the beach with Steven & Thad and Jason & Kevin.  Its supposed to be another scorcher but at least we'll be at the beach and can cool off in the ocean.

Happy 4th of July

 

Have FUN and be SAFE!!

Festive Fourth

We had a festive 4th of July weekend!

Sat I worked until 5, then Spouse & I met up with Steven & Thad, Allen, and Joe P for dinner at Saketumi. Afterward we went to see the Legends show. Patti LaBelle, Liza, and Alan Jackson performed! We hung out for a while afterward, then sat on a bench on the boardwalk and talked. It was a beautiful night.

On Sun we arrived at the beach at 10 and stayed until 4. It was 1 of those days when the sun kept darting in and out of the clouds. We were joined at the beach by Steven & Thad, Allen, Joe P, 1 of the Bobs, Robin & Bill, and John. We also saw many of our friends at the beach. That evening we met up with everyone for burgers, grilled dogs, and salads at Steven & Thad's house. I was amazed at how much they'd done to get settled in and organized.

Yesterday Spouse went to the grocery store early in the morning - I will still in bed when he left! Then we had coffee together when he got home and planned our day. He was responsible for the food and I cleaned the house in preparation for our 4th of July parade/dinner/fireworks. That afternoon we met Steven & Thad, 1 of the Bobs, and Joe P over at Joe P's pool. We hung out for a couple hours, then came home and finished getting ready. Robin & Bill, Steven & Thad, 1 of the Bobs, Allen, and Joe P came over to watch the Doo Dah parade. I drove Big Ella in the parade, of course.


After the parade we had grilled chicken, rice, and sauteed veggies for dinner on the screened porch and hung out until nearly dusk. Then we headed to the beach to watch the incredible 'volunteer' fireworks display. It seems each year they're bigger and better. The weather was dreamy and we really enjoyed the colorful celebration.

Happy 4th of July!

(Long) Weekend highlights

The construction guys worked hard to get the porch screened before they quit working on Fri. Bugs & Roger arrived on Fri at 12:30, but unfortunately I had a conference call at 1:00 so I couldn't go out to lunch with them. They had lunch and shopped at the tax-free outlet malls. When Spouse got home they returned from shopping and we chatted until it was time to leave for Fri Night Dinner with 'the usual suspects'. After dinner, we sat on the newly enlarged screened porch and talked until bedtime.

Sat morning Spouse went to his personal trainer appointment while Bugs & Rog and I chatted over breakfast, then walked to the farmer's market. It was pretty hot but the humidity was low so it was nice in the shade. They got tomatoes, cucumbers and baked goods; I got a gorgeous bunch of cut flowers. Bugs & Rog helped me sweep the screened porch and bring in the tables, chairs, and lounge furniture. When Spouse returned and showered, the 4 of us had lunch and then walked to the art show. Two friends were exhibiting, and we enjoyed looking at everything. Then Spouse & Roger went to the grocery store while Bugs & I went to the Dollar Store and liquor store. 'Divide and conquer' was out motto. Later Steven & Thad and Joe P came over for dinner and we had our 1st meal on the new, enlarged screened porch. We had peppercorn pork tenderloins, orzo with oven roasted veggies, romaine salad, and fresh tomato and cucumber slices. For dessert we had a fruit salad of watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries and blueberries. Although it was very hot earlier, it was a gorgeous night for being outside.

Sun morning it was very hot again so we had breakfast and just hung out indoors. Spouse & I dropped Big Ella off for a wash 'n wax and when we got back we all had lunch. Then we walked to the canal to watch the decorated boat parade. We brought Big Ella home and we went to a neighbor's cocktail party, but couldn't stay long because we had to get ready for the Doo Dah parade. (For an explanation and photos of the Doo Dah parade, click here.) Spouse doesn't like to be the center of attention so he watched the parade with Rick & Nick from their usual post at our friends Mike & Steve's front porch, right on the parade route. Bugs & Roger had never experienced the Doo Dah parade but were game to give it a try. I'd purchased bags of penny candy for them to toss at the kids along the route and we all had a great time. Big Ella was duly adored by everyone and received many cheers and rounds of applause. Unfortunately we have no photos since our camera was acting up again. After the parade, Spouse and Rick & Nick met me and Bugs & Roger back at the house for a 4th of July cook-out on the screened porch. We had hamburgers, bison burgers, bison dogs, cheddar brats, potato salad, macaroni salad, baked beans, and sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. Just before it got dark we grabbed our beach chairs and walked to the beach to watch the fireworks. Our city doesn't need to have a budget for 4th of July fireworks, as a dozen or so citizens have taken it upon themselves to furnish them. For about 90 minutes the public is treated to a free fireworks display that spans a couple miles up and down the beach. It was a beautiful night!

This morning Bugs & Roger left just after breakfast and we joined Steven & Thad, Joe P, The Bobs, and Alisha & Jack at the beach. Again it was very hot out but low humidity, and there was a cool breeze coming off the ocean so it was very pleasant. We laughed and talked and I couldn't believe how quickly the time passed. Upon returning home, Spouse & I had a late lunch consisting of last night's cook-out left overs. He's napping now.

It was a terrific holiday weekend, and I feel very fortunate.

Crush du Jour: Noah Mills