Ten on Tuesday - Fourth of July!

Hmm, Carole's challenge, your ten favorite things about 4th of July.

1. My friend Anne's birthday. She was 8 before she realized that not everyone got fireworks on their birthday.

2. Cooking out. Except I like doing that all the time, and with a gas grill that is connected to my gas line in the house, I can grill in the snow if I so choose. And I did when we lost power this winter and I needed warm food & drinks. Was ever so glad I had kept the camping perculator

3. Fireworks. When the kids were little, three other neighbors showed up in our yard a dark with their fireworks too. It took hours to get them all done, and the last 5 years or so, it wasn't the Fourth of July if the police didn't raid our display. It was rather sad actually. But we had a blast anyway. But we knew we were a success!

4. The neighborhood parade. Full of kids, bikes, fire trucks, bands, and babies. To this day (30 years later) I hop the back fence, cut through the neighbor's yard and sit and watch the parade go by.

5. The concert on the Mall. I haven't been back since that stupid James Watts declared the Beach Boys weren't "patriotic" enough and couldn't participate in the Capitol Concert anymore. What a ya-hoo he was. It was great to go into DC in the afternoon, party and then watch the huge firework display on the Mall. TV isn't quite the same.

6. Potato and Macaroni salad. Staples of any picnic or festivity.

7. A day off to do nothing I don't want to do.

8. I get to wear my red white & blue star earrings, they scream 4th of July, and aren't really appropriate most days. But for a week I wear them!

9. The Flag. Usually some real estate company or some one will put flags at most people's driveways in the neighborhood. The streets are so fun to go down.

10. Our soldiers. TinkerBoy being my current favorite.