Hey Janice,

I’m sorry you have to work on the 4th but hopefully it will be quiet. I don’t have any special plans at the moment but I’m going to talk to my next door neighbor Linda to see if she wants to get together again this year. We had a cookout last year and were going to go downtown to view the fireworks, but there were storms in the area and we were big chickens! They did have the fireworks so we sat on my front porch and could see most of them. There’s a big hill between my house and the park where they set off the fireworks but we could still see a good many of them. There’s a chance of storms again this year so we might wind up doing the same thing. There are so many hills in Cumberland so you have to find a good viewing spot. One of the best spots is on the lawn of a church that sits on top of a hill on the other side of town. If things work out, Linda and I could have our cookout and then camp out on the church lawn until it gets dark. I’ll make my famous shish kabobs that everyone loves. I love stuff cooked on the grill! And of course, no BBQ is complete without the marshmallows. Yummy!

Saturday I’m heading to Wolf Trap in Vienna, VA to see Donna Summer. It’s about a 2 1/2 hour drive so it’s not too bad. I’m going with a couple of my friends and we’re really looking forward to it. Then on Sunday I’m going to sleep because I have a feeling we won’t be home until at least 1:00 a.m. I just broke out into a chorus of “She Works Hard for the Money” so now I can sing that instead of “Achy Breaky Heart” which I’ve been singing since you posted your pictures yesterday!

I hope you’ll be able to enjoy some of the festivities for the holiday. I’m fortunate, I always get the holidays off, but with a hospital, there are plenty of people that have to work holidays and weekends. I’m blessed to have a nice Monday through Friday job. Actually, with the way things are, I’m blessed just to have a job (and one that I love!)

Have a great day everyone!

Take care,
Margie

Fireworks by Grucci

Whenever the Fourth rolls around, I think back to the time (1979-1983) I worked as assistant director of the Mayor’s Office of Special Events during the Jane M. Byrne Administration in Chicago. Each Fourth of July we brought in the Grucci family from Bellport, Long Island to produce a gigantic fireworks display along the city’s magnificent lakefront.

The Grucci’s filled four barges with their custom fireworks. Tug boats hauled the barges into the lake and positioned the barges a quarter of a mile apart offshore from Grant Park in downtown Chicago. Each year, more than a million spectators lined the lakefront to watch the fireworks display, which lasted about a half hour. Unbelievable!

Butch Grucci masterminded the fireworks. He synchronized them to music — once to music from the film “Chariots of Fire,” once to big band music, and to other music on other July Fourths.

No one does fireworks better than the Grucci family, as New Yorkers and Washingtonians know so well. The Grucci’s are the best!

Happy Fourth of July!

George Spink
Los Angeles

It’s too bad you have to work. Like you, my job spills over to week-ends, hollidays and unscheduled hours (getting called in at 1:30 am on a Saturday morning for example). And like Margie, I do love what I do. Every day is something new and challenging! I think getting to something you love is the secret to a happy life!

We’re going to watch the fireworks down on the National Mall on the evening of the fourth. Some friends will be barbequeing out in Leesburg so we’re all going there to put the feedbag on and see their new baby boy but not in that particular order. Its going to be burgers, hot dogs, ribs, chicken, and Alaskan Salmon. I’m looking forward to the Salmon. Yum!!

I’ll give your coin another week. Your mailroom is probably like ours and checks things carefully. If it doesn’t show by then, I’ll send the back-up coin for Hurricane Katrina. It’s nice but not as spiffy as the one you have been sent (in my opinion). I just got another coin from some folks I went to the firefighting training with. They are from the fire dept at Camp Snoopy (Qatar). It’s their department coin and has Snoopy with his gear on carrying an axe on it. It looks great! I will get it scanned to show you. Does your husbands department do the challenge coins? Maybe we can make a trade (haha)

Happy Fourth of July to everybody! I hope you enjoy the concert Margie! And George was part of the Chicago Machine! How many times did you vote in each election George! (haha) Remember the Chicago motto: Vote Early and Often!!

Hey Janice..

Too bad you have to work on the 4th..but maybe they will have some good food in the green room!!!

I am having a family cookout here at my home..we will be celebrating family birthdays along with America’s BD..My grandson Christian is 4 today..and my ex has one on the 5th and a couple more famly members has July BD’s..so we are just wrapping it up in one big party!!and some fireworks too!!

On the Menu..

BBQ chicken
Hamburgers
Hotdogs
Potato Salad
Pasta Salad
Baked Beans
Deviled Eggs
Veggie Platter
Fruit Platter
Incredible Hulk BD cake..(my grandsons favorite superhero right now)
and of course my famous Strawberry Cake!!!

I think my area has a 50% chance of rain on the 4th..so I have my fingers crossed it will wait until after my celebration is over..haha..

So if you are in middle Tn on the 4th stop by…

Have a great hump day..
Deb

Hey Margie..

Have fun at the DS concert..she was my favorite back in the disco days..

Have a great day Everyone!!

HI Janice,
sorry you have to work this weekend,I will be working also till saturday then spending
the rest with family and friends.having a cook out. hope you have a great 4th,stat safe-Kass

Hey Margie-

I hope you have fun at the Donna Summer concert. I hope you will give us a full report

Ah, the Disco Era, a lot of great music came from that time. Too many to mention here. Maybe some of you have your favorites memories and hits during the time.

Brad..

I loved KC and the Sunshine band!!

Hey Margie-

You are going to Vienna VA? Wasnt that the place where that gruesome murder of Taylor Behl happened several years ago? My hearts and condolences go out to the family, and everyone affected those events. I believe that guy who killed her is serving 30 years in jail. He should have gotten life, and the electric chair for what he did.

Brad and all,

I was in high school during much of the disco era. I love looking at pictures of what we wore back then! Janice shared her pictures from the 80’s but I think the 70’s had some even wilder looking fashion, hair styles, etc. I love looking at pictures of ABBA and the Carpenters because they had some crazy outfits–ABBA especially! I remember KC and the Sunshine Band! At that point in my life I didn’t have much money so I didn’t buy too much in the way of music, although I did buy everything ABBA! I used to record songs from the radio so I’d have a little collection. Of course, now I know that’s illegal so I don’t do that anymore. I can afford to buy the music I like.

Speaking of clothes, I put together a special PowerPoint presentation for my family for Father’s Day weekend. I scanned a bunch of old slides and the last one was a family picture from 1974. We had a good laugh about the fashion statements we made!

I will give a full report on Donna Summer after the concert. She holds a special place in my heart. Something happened a few years ago involving her and her husband and now they both are very special to me. I’ve never met them but if I did, I’d give Donna a great big hug! I do have autographed pictures of her and her husband hanging on my photo wall so I think that’s pretty cool! Anyway, I can’t take pictures at the concert but I’ll tell you all about it. I’m sure she’ll be great!

Margie

Brad,

You have a good memory! I remembered the name Taylor Behl but I had to look her up to remember the details. Taylor went to high school in Vienna, VA (which is where I’ll be going to Wolf Trap) but she was at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond when she was killed. That was back in 2005. Fawley, the guy who killed her, was sentenced in 2006 to 30 years in prison. Hopefully he won’t get out early.

Margie

Thanks Margie,

You really are a smart and intelligent person also, i really like reading your informative witty posts, They are a great asset to this blog. A person can learn a whole lot from looking at them. Not to mention you are great with computer technical work

Boy…..I think I would head to Tennessee for a hunk of Debs strawberry cake Man, now I’m hungry for dinner…..

Hi Janice,

I will be working on the 4th also. We are going to
have a potluck so it should be fun. Hopefully it will
quiet weather wise or we’ll to busy to enjoy the food.

Brad, thanks for your kind words. I don’t know if I’m smart and intelligent but I am a librarian so I know how to look things up! I can be pretty dumb sometimes. Reading your post gave me a big smile when I read it. I got an e-mail this morning from someone special that gave me a big smile, too, so I’m doing a lot of smiling today! There are a lot of special people on this blog so I think I’ll hang around for a while! I’ll think of more witty things to say. I also have some pictures that I need to send in. I’ll try to do that this evening. I haven’t sent anything in for a while so I think it’s time. Thanks again for your kind words.

Margie

Margie Rocks!!! :)

Just got home from work a bit ago myself…We will be open on Friday and mom is putting together a lunch for the crew who will be working…Whether or not it will be a full day for the crew has yet to be decided….Not too much to harvest yet…Things are pretty slow…

No matter what people’s plans are I hope its all safe …..July 4th has the reputation for a lot of calls to 9-1-1 for emergencies across the nation…..

Hmm all that tasty food. I will see about eating some extra hotdogs + hamburgers and celebrate in US style too. Happy 4th in advance to all my fellow bloggers and to our great JD + Sean.

I think former Democrat speaker (MA) Tip O”Neil said vote early and vote often.

Hi Pete! Thought you and Janice might see what the freeagents blogs graded the Sens!

Ottawa Senators: So the trade is now Joe Corvo and Patrick Eaves for … a first-round playoff exit? Huh. The Senators signed goalie Alex Auld, who has never played in a Stanley Cup playoff game, to back up Martin Gerber, who can’t win a Stanley Cup playoff game. But the day isn’t a total loss, as the Senators didn’t spend $6.5 million over six years for Wade Redden. GRADE: D+

Ouch! Now where the heck will Sundin end up at?……

As a radio guy, I feel your pain regarding working on holidays. It usually doesn’t bother me, but it tends to make holidays feel like just another day.

My family hasn’t settled on any plans, but I expect we’ll go to my sister’s house at some point during the weekend for burgers and brats.

I live near Clear Lake, Iowa, which always has a big celebration and parade for the 4th. Last year the Iowa caucus campaign was in full swing. Bill and Hillary Clinton were in the Clear Lake parade. You might remember that a New York Times reporter overheard a lady who spotted Bill and told her friend it was Bob Barker.

Have a great holiday!

Margie-

No problem. I am glad i could brighten up your day and make you feel a little bit more special. You are part of what makes this blog so interesting.

I guess being a librarian does make you more intelligent, not to mention a great writer, because you are constantly surrounded by many wonderful books and literature.

Take Care, and hope to hear from you soon. Have a great 4th of July weekend

I guess you guys saw what happened to that 12 year old girl, what a tragic ending. Its really sad that a poor helpless girl could have her life taken from her for a madman. They just found her decomposing body earlier this evening. Its really disgusting that a family member could do such a horrific thing. If you cant trust your family these days, then who can you trust? What is this world coming to?

As for that lady in the hospital that was left to die without help, i dont know really what to say. I cant fathom how helpless and selfish people can be. She was in need of emergency help, and nobody bothered even to lend a helping hand. That is exactly why i try and avoid hospitals, i would rather go to a alternative medicine clinic. Its a whole lot safer over there.

I guess I posted my menu on another entry!

Okay we are having

BBQ brisket and ribs cooked over mesquite by my Hubby and middle son

Homemade BBQ sauce by Grandpa

Potato Salad (german, pickles, bacon, vinegar and no mayo)

Beans

Pies oh my!

Watermelon

And homemade vanilla ice cream by me~

I can hardly wait!

Happy 4th everyone Enjoy, eat lots, relax.

Hey Don, Yes could be postive results for the Sens this year. The clubs owner demands results. The Leafs well what can you say, that hasn’t been said at least a million times. The Leafs need to change ownership into a single company or person at the top much like all the last dozen Stanley Cup teams have done, not the tired management boards they have now. Sundin he’s a great player but at what price? Vancouver is interested……. Give him one more year as a Leaf and see what happens, because if they don’t have him, who will score? I know if I was a NHL player I wouldn’t play for the Leafs.

On the subject of the little girl who lost her life it’s truly a sad thing in this day and age when this happens, animals who do this need to be put to death, and not allowed to spend millions of dollars in court going thru appeal after appeal. We need laws with teeth and judges who have the guts to defend the innocent when they can’t do it themselves.

I got fresh ginormous chocoate chip cookies straight from the oven …

It’s a big weekend for auto racing … Tonight, we had the Rolex race at Daytona won by that cutie Scott Pruett from California (Too bad he drives for Floyd “can’t find a sponsor” Ganassi) … Friday we’ve got the Nationwide race (If Dale Jr’s a good brother, he’ll push his older bro Kerry to the win) … Saturday we’ve got the Sprint Cup Coke Zero 400 (pray that the race winner is a member of the Coca-Cola Racing Family, cause people will get a free bottle of Coke Zero if they go to the website) … Sunday we got the IRL at Watkins Glen …

JD - You should con your bosses into letting you do a spin in the 2-seater when Nascar is there the weekend of Aug 10th … Make them get you the ride along with Tony Stewart or Robby Gordon … Those boys will make you feel alive in more ways than one … LOL