Independence Day

I'm measuring Independence Day this year by geography. Amanda and Michael are in North Dakota at his 20th high school reunion where the honored graduates of this tiny school are in the 4th of July parade. Melissa and Lucas are in Oak Park. Karen, Ken's sister is here helping us through the last days of detox (another blog post) and her husband, Gary, is in Greentown maybe headed to Walton, In., with their son, Matt and his wife Jodie, for a family picnic, car show and fireworks. Their daughter, Alicia, and her family are in Florida at the Buckley's condo. And we are here in search of fireworks that may be best watched on TV and a good grilled hamburger which is easily enough obtained.
My mother for the first time in her life is not celebrating the 4th from her home in Kokomo where she was one of the first people to put red, white and blue bunting on her picture-perfect flower boxes. The flower boxes now have fake springeri we purchased from Holly Hobby nearly two years ago. Ken's mother doesn't know it's July 4th and she will be asleep before the fireworks begins right across the street from the nursing home at the Greentown fairgrounds.
This is an accounting of our whereabouts. As for our activities: Ken and Karen are potting flowers and replacing a hose. He has his perfect helpmate, his sister, who's patient, unendingly helpful and dedicated to helping her brother through this painful piece of pain. We will go across to the street to our church where there will be games, food, music and a salute to the 4th in the coolness of Nelson Hall. Tonight, the three of us will maybe treat ourselves to gelatto and Oh, Hell and our shared memories of earlier July 4ths in Kokomo, Indiana.