The Fourth of July was always a special time when I was growing up, even though, in my mind, it meant summer was speeding by too fast. In my mind, going back to school was merely around the corner from July Fourth.
I remember my Granny and Papaw graveling new potatoes to go with the first mess of half runners fresh out of the garden. Nothing has ever tasted better to me than the food my Granny served.
Another thing my Granny was notorious for was planning a giant holiday picnic. Usually at Little Beaver or Grandview State Park. She always made fried chicken and hot dogs individually wrapped in aluminum foil. Salads and desserts topped off the feast along with the star of the show, the fresh green beans, and potatoes.
She always wanted the entire family on these outings, which meant my aunt and uncle from Charleston had to be there. Now they were known for being more than a little bit late. The rest of us would have the car packed up, and you could hear our stomachs rumbling from a mile away. Yet there would be no sign of my aunt and uncle. Granny would call. There would be news of something like she’s brushing her teeth and going out the door. We all knew that could take an hour by itself. We were already so hungry we didn’t care if they made it in or not. We were only thinking about those wrapped-up hot dogs and fried chicken. Granny didn’t take too well to my idea of letting them meet us at the park. Finally, hours after we were supposed to have eaten, they showed up. It was too late to go to the park, so we unpacked the car and ate cold food at Granny’s table.
Then there was the year the family ran off from us, and we ended up eating alone. To beat it all, we had the sacred green beans and potatoes. Mom kept trying to get hold of Granny but to no avail. She decided we should look for them, but we never found them. We ended up eating at a little roadside park. Then we went to a store, and Mom bought me my first ever Strawberry Shortcake doll. That began a lifelong love affair with the now collectible doll.
Granny felt guilty and never did tell us where they went. Mom, from then on, started planning July Fourth at home. Looking back on it all, these were some of the best and most carefree days of my life.
Happy Fourth, Everyone.
