I hope everyone is enjoying beaching, grilling or just chilling on this holiday weekend. Independence Day holds some special childhood memories for me. My family always held a big party to celebrate not only our nation's B-day, but, my Uncle Donald's(also my godfather) as well. The best 4th of July parties were held at our beach house in Narragansett, RI. It may sound glamorous, having a summer house, but it really wasn't. My entire family shared two tiny cabin like spaces that were side by side. There had to be at least 15 of us back then, but I don't remember feeling crowded. The house was in a cul-de-sac & ours was directly in the center. We shared a huge yard with three other houses. Family friends Donna & Kenny & their kids were in one house & Donna's parents & brother occupied the other two. Poppa's 1st cousin, Al & his family lived across the street. It was crazy! We all knew each other. Doors were kept wide open & we came & went as we pleased from one house to the next. Everyone who lived in that cul-de-sac felt like family. Being able to roam & play free of any fears? That's priceless.

On the 4th, all the neighbors converged onto our big center yard. Everyone brought food. Poppa manned the grill. One of my favorite pictures is of him wearing shorts, a red, white & blue apron(no shirt) & an Uncle Sam hat standing in front of the BBQ. I won't even go into the massive amounts of food that were consumed. Let me just say that the majority of our neighbors were Italian & they cooked for that party like it was the Last Supper.

The best part of the entire day happened just after dusk. The fireworks!!! Uncle Donald would put on the most intense, thrilling show. I don't know how or where he got the fireworks from - they probably "fell off a truck", but, they were amazing. We are not just talking sparklers or bottle rockets. They were so huge & colorful, or so it seemed to me at age 6 & 7. And we had a front row seat, so part of the excitement was watching him light them & run!

To be honest, I couldn't image my entire family sharing those small cabins in this day & age. We all need our space & the family has almost doubled in size. That's ok, because in my mind those summers were absolutely perfect. I don't remember any family bickering or hard times. I just have memories of freedom, laughter & love. Those were the days. HAPPY 4TH of JULY!!!

Posted by Dawn Falcone @ 4:04 AM 4 comments

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