Fireworks and Hamburgers...with a twist!

UPDATE: Later on today, Morgan's giving up his "homemade hot wings recipe" ...don't miss it!

It’s the day after the Fourth. We had a great time at sister J’s (no, we didn’t go to a convent; I have 4 sisters!). Mom was there and was touched by your comments to her regarding how proud and happy she is being a naturalized citizen (in the post just below this in case you didn't read it). She asked that I send you her thanks and best wishes.

I got to thinking about you all having hamburgers and hotdogs and potato salad and chips and beer and watermelon. We had hamburgers, too, but they were Armenian hamburgers, or at least we call them that. Mom takes a blend of lamb and beef and adds shredded onion, very finely chopped green peppers and tomatoes, and adds a little garlic and parsley, S&P. J’s husband grilled the burgers and they were DELICIOUS. They were culturally American but had an ethnic Armenian flair for this great American holiday, right? Multiethnicity is good…multiculturalism is bad.

Our potato salad is lemony versus pickly, another ethnic touch because Armenians from the Mediterranean area like lots of lemons. Our appetizers beforehand included “tarama”, a Greek/Armenian delicacy of red fish roe (a type of inexpensive caviar) and lemon and bread… and hummus, and kalamata olives, served with pita triangles, AND potato chips, of course! The beverage was Pimm’s Cup, a traditionally English drink, prepared by the barbecuing brother-in-law…maybe that was a nod to the Brits from whom we gained our independence, come to think of it!!

We had an American picnic with an ethnic twist yesterday. The thing we shared, first and second generation Americans at our barbecue yesterday, with those of you, some of whom have ancestors who were among the first settlers, was simply being in an AMERICA loving frame of mind. Patriotism. Beamish, on Gathering Storm yesterday, said something about how patriotism was loving America through thick and thin. (I hope I got you right here, Beamish) You don’t have to love everything America does, but you love her through her challenges and her successes. I believe Always on Watch compared it to a marriage. You support, you help, sometimes you have to compromise, but you keep on loving.

Don’t forget that others love America, too. Look at Aurora and MK and Otto, all from Australia, all with terrific blogs showing their appreciation and admiration for America! Look at the Iraqi who killed himself to protect our soldiers last August (our buddy Elmer's Brother brought that to my attention, did you hear about that in the media? Of course not)…….And, we all complain and moan that there's a terrible racial divide in this country and we forget there are people like Namaste who wrote a piece which made my heart swell with joy and appreciation for her and many like her who we don't hear enough about! ALL these things and so many more wonderful pieces I saw on some of blogs yesterday helped to put me in a great mood in which to celebrate our country!

We have so much to be proud of and the Fourth is a great day to revel in that pride. Most of us know how lucky we are to live in America and thinking about her and writing about her many issues every day helps us remember that. It shouldn’t take fireworks and hamburgers to feel great about America, no matter what you put in your burgers, but it sure is a fun way to do it!!

I hope you all had a wonderful Independence Day. GOD BLESS AMERICA!