July 4th 2025

Village of Rochester, Racine County, Wisconsin

I’m told that some people may set off fireworks this evening somewhere around Chiang Mai, though there isn’t an organized event. I guess there might be enough expatriates here. It would be wonderful to see.

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OC Fireworks

My dad’s favorite holiday was the 4th of July. We made it an all day event at our house with ‘snakes’ and a ladyfinger or two, but we always went to the swimming club my parents belonged to in order to cook outside, swim, and see their fireworks display.

One year my dad developed cataracts in both eyes. The doctors said they had to get ‘bad’ enough for them to operate on one at a time, but that 4th of July, my dad was almost completely blind. He had given up reading, TV, becoming really depressed about the upcoming holiday. He COULD see lights, but decided he wouldn’t ask Harvey and me to drive my mom and him to the club.

Harvey spent the day out doing errands. He came home with a humongous grocery sack full of fireworks, plus snakes and a whole group of ladyfingers tied together. We brought cookout stuff, which my parents expected.

When we finished dinner Harvey suggested we sit out on the back patio. My dad reluctantly joined us, but it was obvious that his heart wasn’t in it.

Harvey brought out the snakes first. My dad’s face nearly cracked open when he ‘saw’ what Harvey had brought. He got down low, sitting on the concrete, so he could see the snakes as they were lit and grew, curling all over the patio. He was like a kid at Christmas.

Harvey brought out the ladyfingers and my dad hugged him. He asked Harvey to light the end so that the whole group of ladyfingers went off one after the other.

And finally, the sky grew dark. My dad had gotten quiet, wishing he could see fireworks.

Harvey spent the rest of the evening setting off one firework after another in our back yard – safely – but close enough my dad had the best row in the house actually being able to SEE each one. He thanked Harvey over and over for providing the “best 4th of July EVER!”

I brought out a towel and a beer for Harvey, who had been working so hard he was wringing wet and thirsty.

If I hadn’t already loved my husband as much as humanly possible before this, this would have proved to me that my husband was a ‘keeper.’ 🤗

Happy Independence Day!