Independence Day Greetings and Winner of July's Common Thread Give-Away

The Winner of July's Common thread Give-Away is:                         
Cindy dv is the winner of July's Common Thread Give-Away Drawing and will be receiving my special pincushion. Yes, Cindy, it is made of felted wool, sewn and embroidered (versus needle felted).  Thank you all for leaving your comments and for visiting my website.  I do hope you will all come back to visit me.  If you weren't a winner this month, don't despair!  Every month we have a free give-away gift and so there will be many opportunities in the future for you to win.

Independence Day Greetings

Our July 4th, Independence Day celebration is now a very simple one.  My husband and I typically watch fireworks in a nearby town. We typically have an ice cream cone as we sit in our lawn chairs across the street from the Rutland Fairgrounds.  After The Annual Demolition Derby is over, the smashed cars paraded by and the sky dark, the fireworks begin. It’s always a lovely display and then everyone in their cars form another parade as we return home.

This holiday was not always so small and simple.  It was my favorite spinster aunt’s birthday and was often the occasion for a big family reunion. When my mother’s sisters gathered, it was no small event! They had grown up on a Nebraska farm and very used to making their own fun and at the center of the celebrations was always great potlucks and special deserts, visiting and storytelling.  Their closeness was infectious and we kids gathered about them ready to listen.  Love, laughter and fun reigned!  Often a back-rub line would form with care to switch positions so the one at the back got equal number of rubs as well.

We never grew tired of listening to their stories.  Many were repeated, but there was always something new to hear, no matter how many times you had heard them. I think my cousins and I wished we could have been one of the sisters and grown up on a farm as their stories were filled with rural adventures that us city kids missed out on.

It is no wonder that I ended up on a farm in Vermont, with one of my cousins in the rural countryside of Vermont as well. It was in our blood, and with it the love of stories and extended family, along with the blessings and sweetness of living in America.

Happy Independence Day to you all!  May your holiday be celebrated with whoever is dear to you!