I never thought I could hate the 4th of July, but I do. My first 4th of July in Long Grove was unexpectedly phenomenal! My house sat in the middle of a farmer’s corn field. We were the first and only house in the development. We set up chairs, coolers and fireworks (from Wisconsin) when an unbelievable event occurred.
The sky lit up! We had a 360-degree view of every surrounding villages’ fireworks. My God, it was awe inspiring. In the middle of this spectacular show, we heard a loud explosion in our back yard. We ran (we were young) towards the sound. What we found completed the night. For the next 30 minutes, we witnessed a professional display of fireworks in our back yard.
Thanks to a nearby by country club, we have had our private viewing of 4th of July fireworks ever since. 4th of July became a three-day pool party with games, swimming and a continuously running grill. Parties always ran into the early am hours and often we had 20 kids sleeping in the basement.
NOT THIS YEAR! This year two things are ruining the 4th. Clovid-19 has put an end to parties, as well as fireworks. Can you imagine having a pool party with red tape demarking 6-foot safety zones that only one only family can occupy? I can’t.
Of course, living in a senior community in North Carolina makes partying by my pool in Long Grove impossible. Unfortunately, my new community’s pool is not close to being completed. Renee and I will spend the day on our porch eating holiday food and trying to bolster each other’s spirits while missing our friends and Long Grove home.
I suspect that this year’s fourth is going to be the first of many private celebrations as the world really has changed. In previous articles, I have discussed forming PODS of individuals who practice the same precautions as you do. Yesterday, my daughter pointed out the fallacy of my plan. Renee and I had to get our licenses and licenses plates transferred to NC. We also had to establish a bank account.
That’s three trips into the public and three opportunities to contract Clovid-19. Lisa pointed out the fact that, if we were in a POD, we’d have to go into isolation for 2 weeks, temporarily banning us from our POD.
I’ve been working hard at staying positive. Today, I’m going to have to work extra hard. So, I’m going on a NO NEWS fast. I’m going to call friends, reminisce about prior 4ths and enjoy Renee’s company. Who knows, perhaps I can light her fuse. In the old days, we could have an indoor fireworks display.
Renee?
Here’s your music and jokes.
What do you call a duck who likes fireworks? A firequacker!
