Independence Day

Oh dear.  I just realized I may just have to stay off Facebook until after the 4th of July... ever see a girl get all weepy over Independence Day? ... Not pretty.  Holidays are tough, especially the ones I have known all of my life and now live in a place that they are not celebrated, or celebrated the same as is true in some cases.  What does Facebook have to do with it?  Well, the majority of my family is assembling at my Aunt and Uncle's lake house in upstate NY for the annual family reunion....and are already heralding their excitement and their travel plans on FB.....other friends are planning their BBQ's and get-togethers too.  It of course, is only a matter of time before picnics, hot-dogs, potato salad and fireworks is the number one topic on my 'home' page.

 Now it may come as a surprise, that the Fourth of July is not big here in France. (And neither was 'Cinco de Mayo'--go figure.)  So although in exchange we do get Bastille Day on the 14th (which is similar, sort of) but it just isn't that hometown celebration with friends and family that I pine for.  Now to be fair, even if we were still in Washington we most likely would not have been able to make it to the East Coast for the reunion--but it's still hard to think of that kind of gathering and not feel a little nostalgic.  For years the 4th of July was also a celebration of my grandparents anniversary--fun day to get married don't you think?  There are dozens of pictures of them balancing the 'American Flag Cake' on their lap.  You know the one?  The Cool-Whip covered cake with the blueberries and strawberries making up the stars and stripes?  Yeah,  that one.  How lucky they were....they always had a big family gathering each year to celebrate their anniversary, and they always had fireworks (they really did!).
Last year on the 4th, we had only arrived a few weeks before...we literally stumbled upon a 4th of July parade in a tiny town called Bonnebosq, here in Normandy.  I kid you not.  It was a true 4th of July party and we drove into the town, were stopped by parade barracades and had no choice but to park the car and watch the parade. 

 The pictures are posted in this entry....and I felt incredibly lucky that day almost a year ago now--getting that small dose of 'home' that I already so desperately needed.

So where do you think we are going back to this July 4th?  You got it!  Back to Bonnebosq! ... Mais Oui! Bien Sur!  The sweet thing is that we are pretty sure that the little town has no idea what they are 'celebrating' or parade-ing for!  But we do!

All I know is that when you can't have family reunions, fireworks and hot dogs.... that there is nothing better than Fourth of July, American Independence Day--- French style!

Happy 4th of July mes amis Americains!