Seven Ways to Celebrate Independence Day when You are Alone

1. Pray: Take time during the day to say a prayer for America. I am saying the "Prayer for America" revealed by 'Abdu'l-Baha.

2. Breakfast: Fix something different for breakfast. For instance, today I ate tilapia with watermelon, pineapple, grapes, cantaloupe, and Cole slaw. Usually I eat either an egg or cereal with almond or coconut milk.

3. T.V. News: I watched the CNN News while eating breakfast. I learned that there is a mystery about the Declaration of Independence. The mystery is "Who put the hand print on the Declaration of Independence?" This is something I need to research so that I can write a poem or include it in a short story.

4. Tradition: Practice or follow at least one family tradition during the day. Today I plan to watch "A Capitol Fourth" on PBS. This was a show my mother and I used to watch every year. I got away from the tradition after Mom died in 2012, this year I am going to restart the tradition.

5. Listen: Listen to the neighborhood noises if there are any. My neighborhood is quiet this morning, but I think it has to to with this being July 4 and everyone wants to rest up for the fireworks tonight.

6. Look: Open your blinds or curtains and look outside. There is not a lot of activity this morning. I saw one woman walking her dog and another walking east toward Eastern Avenue.

7. Write: Send a text to your friends or family wishing them a Happy 4th. Compose a blog or journal entry about the way you are celebrating the fourth. Write a short story or poem about a Fourth of July memory.

Happy Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July,
look up into the night sky
watch the sparkling fireworks display
the red, white, and blue
lighting up the night
and  paling the distant stars.

Happy Fourth of July,
listen to a patriotic tune
such as John Philip Sousa's
The Stars and Strips Forever
while enjoying a picnic lunch with
hotlink sausage,
jalapeno hotdog,
grilled hamburger with horseradish,
grilled chicken with hot and spicy barbecue sauce,
and a cold watermelon.

Happy 4th of July 2009

Independence Day 2009.
Happy 4th of July
a day to celebrate
with barbecues,
parades,
fireworks lighting up the night.

I think we should start a new 4th of July tradition,
I think we should tell the story of America's Independence,
I think we need to tell our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren
about the on going struggle for Independence.

It was Sunday

Daily writing practice prompt for Thursday, June 25, 2009 was “It was Sunday, the time it happened.”

It was Sunday, the time it happened. Sunday on a 4th of July weekend and we were at Lake Carl Blackwell. Three carloads of relatives camping out at Lake Carl Blackwell, waiting for night when we could set off the fireworks, my brothers, sister and I were in the water, wearing life vest, floatation devices, because Grandpa insisted that we wear them.

Grandpa was in the water as well. He always kept an eye on us when we went swimming, even though each child had a life vest on, Grandpa watched us. He was our living guardian angle and this time it was a good thing he was there.

The life vest my brother was wearing got water logged. Grandpa saw that Tom, my youngest brother, was in trouble, so he immediately pulled him from the water. Tom was all right and Grandpa bought him a new life vest.

NOTE: This is one of three events, which happened at Lake Carl Blackwell. The three events happened over a three-year time span. After the last event, we never went back to Lake Carl Blackwell. I put the events in a poem and now I am working on a short essay with the events, I still need to work on the descriptions.

Writing about the Fourth of July

Fidál (Grace), 8 Rahmat (Mercy), 165 BE – Tuesday, June July 1, 2008 about 5:26 AM PDT

I have come up with several ideas for my Fourth of July blog entry. Most of the ideas have to do with childhood memories and the Fourth of July. When I grew up in Blackwell, Oklahoma, my grandfather always took us to a recreational area for The Fourth. I remember going to Lake Blackwell (I think that was the name of the lake outside of Blackwell) and Lake Carl Blackwell. Those were fun trips, my grandparents enjoyed the way we kids reacted to the pyrotechnic displays.

I am not going anyplace for The Fourth, again this year. From where we live we can see the beautiful displays the hotel casinos put on. There is not any reason to leave the house on the Fourth of July. Some of the neighbors (especially those with kids) put on fireworks displays of their own.

Title Ideas for Fourth of July blog entries

1. The Fourth at Lake Blackwell
2. Incident on the Fourth of July at Lake Carl Blackwell
3. Watching Fireworks in Las Vegas
4. Eating Watermelon on the Fourth of July
5. Independence Day in the 21st Century
6. Listening to Fireworks on July 4
7. The reason we (or I) celebrate the Fourth of July
8. Grandpa and the Roman Candle
9. The Fourth of July is for Family
10. My Grandfather grew his own watermelon
11. Neighborhood Fireworks Displays
12. July 4, 2008
13. Enjoying the Fourth of July
14. Individual Watermelons
15. A Lucky Fourth of July