Ted's brother lives in the country and he has always had a
Fourth of July Picnic. It is a family tradition. The immediate family wears tricorn hats. It starts around two
p.m. and winds down about midnight after the fireworks.

It is always blazing hot and will be this year more than is
normal with temperatures over a hundred. David hires an
Indian flute player to come and play the flute, at an outrageous price. The flute player hates the fire works but
the holiday is for the kids.

People eat whenever. Everyone brings food and there are
always hot dogs, hamburgers and meat for gyros. The evangelistic side of the family brings their Sunday School
Class. Strangers inevitably show up and friends of friends.

The first time I went, Ted and I weren't married. He parked
me under a shade tree and went off with his brothers. I did
not know a single soul except for his mother. I nearly killed him after the picnic.

When it stopped being exclusively family, Ted and I opted
out which caused hard feelings. We aren't going this year
because Ted is not up to it. I don't think he could stand
being out in the heat.

My ex Sil says the best thing about being divorced is that
she no longer has to go. It is such a tremendous amount of
work, expensive, and just doesn't seem worth it to me but
the young people in the family expect it so I suppose they
will keep having it as long as they can. The hostess told
me that this might be the last one.

We will stay cool at home. The base used to have one that
was fun with patriotic music and fireworks but there was
so much furor over how expensive it was that it stopped.