The 4th of July is one of those holidays when the Guyton clan assembles for food and fun. The men grill outside while the ladies prepare foods inside. The few times when relatives had a pond or lived on the lake, we always congregated there for swimming, one hour after you eat, of course.
When I was about five or six my Dad bought an electric ice cream maker. (Home made ice-cream was always the late afternoon treat.) I remember that summer specifically, as Uncle Tom has his hand crank machine. My cousin Niki, who is my age, stood in front of her Dad and I stood in front of my Dad and we cheered for our Dad's machines like there was no tomorrow. Uncle Tom was determined that "new-fangled" machine wasn't going to beat him and worked up quite a sweat (which he would have done anyway as hot as it was). The electric machine quit first, but Uncle Tom stopped right afterwards, and his ice cream was done, too! It's strange the things we got fired up about as children. (Bobby claims that's cheating. If you don't get at least one blister making home-made ice cream then it doesn't count as home-made!)
One of the hardest things I had to adjust to in NC was the lack of fireworks here. Our family always set off fireworks for the 4th. That tradition died off somewhat after Uncle Tom died, but I miss it. I guess that's one of the reasons I enjoy all the towns around here setting off fireworks. I'm too old for sparklers, was never overly crazy about battle rockets, but I do miss getting to examine the remains of blown up fire-ant mounds (courtesy of my brother and cousin's escapades with a long string of firecrackers). I guess that part of me hasn't grown up.
In honor of Bobby's family traditions we had hot dogs with NC chili and made slaw for his hot dog. I won't make home-made ice cream though. Even with an electric machine, it still seems like a lot of work for just two people. I guess that's how traditions die or change.
When I was about five or six my Dad bought an electric ice cream maker. (Home made ice-cream was always the late afternoon treat.) I remember that summer specifically, as Uncle Tom has his hand crank machine. My cousin Niki, who is my age, stood in front of her Dad and I stood in front of my Dad and we cheered for our Dad's machines like there was no tomorrow. Uncle Tom was determined that "new-fangled" machine wasn't going to beat him and worked up quite a sweat (which he would have done anyway as hot as it was). The electric machine quit first, but Uncle Tom stopped right afterwards, and his ice cream was done, too! It's strange the things we got fired up about as children. (Bobby claims that's cheating. If you don't get at least one blister making home-made ice cream then it doesn't count as home-made!)
One of the hardest things I had to adjust to in NC was the lack of fireworks here. Our family always set off fireworks for the 4th. That tradition died off somewhat after Uncle Tom died, but I miss it. I guess that's one of the reasons I enjoy all the towns around here setting off fireworks. I'm too old for sparklers, was never overly crazy about battle rockets, but I do miss getting to examine the remains of blown up fire-ant mounds (courtesy of my brother and cousin's escapades with a long string of firecrackers). I guess that part of me hasn't grown up.
In honor of Bobby's family traditions we had hot dogs with NC chili and made slaw for his hot dog. I won't make home-made ice cream though. Even with an electric machine, it still seems like a lot of work for just two people. I guess that's how traditions die or change.
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Word verification: purean - someone from the land of "Pur"