Welcome! This week, I’m taking part in the Celebrating Independence Blog Hop, coordinated by Drea Becraft, where your comment here on this post between July 1st and 4th could win you an eBook copy of my sweetly scorching contemporary romance, Clear As Day.
The Fourth of July brings so many happy memories to mind for me, a time full of family.
The best summers were when we could stay at my grandparents’ shore house. Their house was in the perfect place, where we could wade in the warm, clear bay and go crabbing off the dock, or walk the three blocks to the beach and play in the ocean shallows between the beach and the sand bar. I loved walking the boardwalk up at the ocean with my grandmother.
Their shore house was wonderful. From the varnished pine planks that made the thin walls, rattled by Grandpa’s snores at night, to the outdoor shower with the perfect view of blue sky or stars and the wonderful torrent of hot water from the old fashioned shower head while the cool sea breeze tickled your toes and sent the orange and red gaillardia blossoms that ringed the enclosure bobbing. Or even more fun–taking a shower in the rain. There would be games of solitaire late into the night played on the blue checked plastic tablecloth of the kitchen table. Lightning bugs would rise and dance in the dusk. Seeing their lights in the yard today still means real summertime to me. And, best of all, hours of reading out on the porch.
The Fourth of July and summer at the shore meant so many hot weather treats. Grandma cooked big meals in that tiny kitchen and there was always enough for all, no matter how many squeezed around the dinner table. Hamburgers, hotdogs and Grandma’s baked chicken. Her coleslaw, fresh, creamy and cold. Sweet pickles at lunchtime, and sandwiches topped withe juicy Jersey tomatoes. Fresh sweet corn on the cob filled the tiny kitchen with steam. On Sunday mornings, best of all, crumb buns and donuts for breakfast, fetched fresh from the bakery, along with the newspaper and eaten while sharing the comics section around the table, with coffee hot from the old fashioned percolator. And after a long lazy or busy hot day, Grandpa announcing at four o’clock it was cocktail hour and time for drinks, or wine, or ginger ale, and we’d all gather on the front porch and pass around the crackers and thin slices of cheddar cheese.
My grandfather’s birthday was the 4th and he loved to joke how he enjoyed the party the country threw him every year with all the parades and fireworks. We’d set up our lawn chairs in the front yard and watch the fireworks burst and sparkle overhead. Of course, the Fourth of July meant birthday cake for Grandpa, all patriotic in white icing, with blueberries and red strawberries, and candles blazing.
And naturally, every year it was best Fourth of July ever.
What is your favorite Fourth of July memory or favorite summertime treat?
Leave a comment on this post and you’ll go in the drawing to win an eBook copy of Clear As Day.
That’s it! After you do that, click HERE to go to the main hop page where you’ll find over 150 authors, all giving away great prizes, and hop over to another author and keep going for more chances to win. Good luck!
Contest starts July 1, 2012 and ends July 4, 2012 at midnight. I’ll announce my winner the morning of the 6th.
Wishing you a happy Fourth of July!
Babette
babettejames.com 
As a Scot we don’t actually celebrate 4th July but a few years back, when I was fulltime teaching, the local authority changed the school calendar year to a four semester deal. We normally broke up for our long SUMMER VACATION around the 25th-28th June, but that year we had to work right into the 3rd July. What a shocker that was! It was a psychological thing!!! Like… we don’t teach in July!!! When the 4th July came you CAN IMAGINE JUST HOW THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT KICKED IN!
We normally go to the lake for the week of the fourth with our family! During that week its lots of cooking out and swiming and fishing! Then on the fourth we have a big cookout where the rest of the family comes for the day! Then I make homemade ice cream and we go watch fireworks over the lake:) Happy Fourth of July! I hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday!
As a little girl, I thrilled to the excitement of packing up the car with blankets and treats to head to one of the hills in town. We’d spread out on the grass with dozens of strangers and cheer on the spectacular fireworks display while lightning bugs danced all around us. Ah, the simple joys of youth.
As a kid we always went to the New Jersey shore for the week…loved it!
Yvette
yratpatrol@aol.com
My favorite 4th of July memory is going to a theater on my parents boat & seeing Jimmy Buffet in concert
Wolphcall(at)bellsouth(dot)net
My favorite memory is going to a theater on my parent’s boat & seeing Jimmy Buffet in concert.
Lisa G
Wolphcall(at)bellsouth(dot)net
i live in Canada and celebrate Canada day but my favorite summer time memories are my folks renting a summer home up on a lake and spending several weeks swimming and playing on the beach
laurie
parisfan_ca@yahoo.com
So many memories–which one to pick? In my town we always had a costume parade on the 4th of July, and my father–six feet three & thin as a rail–always played Uncle Sam. Once the 3 kids dressed in sheets & went as the Spirit of ’76–the blow-up plastic replica of a Jack Daniels bottle went with. M. S. Spencer
Family, flag, fireworks, hamburgers and apple pie and ice cream.
My favorite summer/4th treat is ice cold watermelon, as an adult I buy the seedless kind but as a kid there was nothing better than seed spitting contests with the sibs!
mawmom@gmail.com
Favorite treat- watermelon!
evabrittcc@gmail.com
When I was a kid, it was always time for a gigantic family reunion-ish picnic at my cousin’s house and then fireworks in the evening, usually we would go to the hospital parking garage because then we could see them from all over the area.
kathalsteaddgo@yahoo.com
My favorite treat is getting sno cones. Thanks for the chance to win!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
When I was little our family would go to the Jersey Shore…I have such wonderful memories..
ronnkelly3(at)aol(dot)com
ronnkelly3@aol.com
Thanks so much! I love watching the fireworks with the kids! They get so excited!!! My fav memory is doing the same thing when we were kids. It is so amazing that we all now still get together but with our own kids!
forettarose@yahoo.com
My favorite 4th of July memory would be going to the lake with my mom to watch the fireworks. She’s been gone for 5 years now, but every 4th I remember being a kid.
The food is my favorite part of the the 4th of July. I’m making BBQ ribs! Thanks so much for the fun giveaway!
geishasmom73 AT yahoo DOT com
Our town was small and had a lot of retired Military men and women. We would have a huge parade with a town picnic on the square with a live band. Then at the end of the day a huge fireworks display. Great memories.
Thanks for the giveaway
Lynda
lyndakayefrazieryahoo.com
I’m not from the USA, but have a lot of friends there. So Happy 4th of July!
Adila
esmeralda10az(at)yahoo(dot)com
Spending time with my family watching fireworks!!
evelynmoly@yahoo.com
Thanks, everyone, for visiting and sharing your fun and wonderful memories and treats!
With a random number picked by Random.org, the winner of the e-book copy Clear As Day is allysonbb! Congrats, Allyson.