July 4th!

Another 4th of July (my 3rd now) has come and gone and the effect on me is still the same. However, I would say that my enjoyments and the parties get better each year.

This year on the 3rd it rained. Larry's gig at the PBR rained out mostly so the country singer was inside, which I am very glad I missed. It is amazing; people will be cancel the crux of the party outside due to rain, but fireworks remain in the scheme of things. I bet folks would have gladly stood in the rain to see the fireworks!

Independence Day: the one day of the year where everyone is an American and proud of it! This all caused me to wonder if SA has an "Independence Day" and if we do why don't we celebrate it?

The fare of Independence Day is nothing too terribly exciting - quite American, but then who wants to be picky all the time. When in Rome....

Anyway, PBR had their sell-out BBQ on the 3rd with a country singer and fireworks lined up. The fireworks were only 300 ft away from us - right on the beach. What a spectacular show!

The music begins to play and for a moment all are awash with emotion; all grievances with the government are laid aside for a while. Overhead in the midnight sky an array of colours spark and fizzle with a snap, crackle and pop.

After twenty minutes the finale blasts away and my jeans are vibrating, I am frozen to the spot while Ray Charles belts out America the Beautiful.

On Wednesday Larry and I joined the Whitney Bank Private Clients for their celebration. My boss is a very special private client of Whitney Bank as well as a board member of the bank. Since our office overlooks the bay where they launch the fireworks from, the bank rents the space for the party that they have for all the rich people that bank with them.

It is usually quite a party and all outside from seven to nine pm. Since my boss likes Larry and I so much we are invited each year. We had fried fish (mullet and catfish) with grits (don't ask), coleslaw and hushpuppies (fried cornbread balls).

The DJ, Gus Allen, used to work for my boss and does this on the side but clearly loves funk. We had "do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight" with the kiddies jumping on the jumping castle. The children also had a magic show that Larry diligently attended. Some people are just young at heart...

At 9 pm my boss invited Larry and me to join them upstairs on the balcony for the fireworks. What an awesome place to watch fireworks from. We got to see the fireworks all the way in Pensacola Beach while ours were going as well. Double treat!

After all the partying we had to wait for traffic to subside - which took forever, and still get up the next day for work as usual.

South Africans do not know how good they have it. I never want to hear a complaint again. We have about four actual public holidays here and you are lucky to get paid for them and it is not like in SA where if the holiday falls on a weekend that you get a weekday in recompense. No, if is on Saturday, tough.

So, enjoy every single public holiday and free long weekend that you can get because you are truly blessed.

But, I also feel that the US is blessed in many ways. Bottom line: celebrate your nationality and be proud of it. Count your blessings and learn to overlook the grievances. Happiness is a choice and state of mind.

Hope you enjoy the pics!