101 Things to Love About Summer

Here is a list of thing to love about summer - Do you recognize all these things? Which do you enjoy year round in Maracaibo and which are uniquely North American?

1. lemonade stands
2. whirring vintage fans
3. sundresses
4. fireflies
5. wildflowers by the highway
6. s’mores
7. easy grilled dinners
8. summer thunderstorms
9. the long, lingering daylight hours
10. fireworks
11. marching bands in parades
12. linen
13. the return of Mad Men
14. cold watermelon
15. napping in a hammock
16. sunglasses as headbands
17. the smell of sunscreen on kids
18. farmer’s markets at their most glorious
19. a chelada on a hot day
20. picnics
21. daytrips to the beach (and the reminder of it with sand everywhere)
22. iced tea in mason jars
23. espadrilles
24. bocce
25. swimming
26. halter top strings dangling down your back
27. outdoor movies
28. long hikes in the cool, quiet woods
29. sandcastles
30. wavy, sexy beach hair
31. saltwater taffy
32. camping
33. drippy ice cream cones
34. yoga outside
35. easy entertaining on your porch or in your backyard
36. lying on a floating wooden platform in the middle of a lake
37. croquet with a pimm’s cup
38. kids playing in sprinklers and open fire hydrants
39. street fairs
40. horseshoes
41. a fresh pedicure tucked into fancy sandals
42. Lillet on the rocks with a slice of orange
43. so-golden-you’d-never-know fake tans
44. visiting national parks
45. outdoor concerts
46. sno-cones
47. big, floppy hats
48. canoeing
49. sheer, pretty make-up
50. vacation, staycation, or just giving yourself a quick relaxation break
51. iced coffee
52. the sounds of the ice cream truck
53. raffia, jute, and straw anything
54. braids
55. eating outside
56. sleeping in tents (in the backyard or the wilderness)
57. crisp, cool cotton sheets, dresses, and shirts
58. the seasonal return of rosé
59. going to a baseball game
60. fresh basil and mint growing on your windowsill
61. homemade posicles
62. sunny days = sunnier moods
63. blowing bubbles
64. getting lost in a juicy novel for an afternoon
65. water balloons
66. car wash fundraisers
67. rooftop parties
68. road trips (and kitschy roadside attractions)
69. corn dogs
70. frisbee
71. the ripest, most luscious tomatoes
72. collecting seashells
73. mini golf
74. lobster rolls
75. state fairs (and food on sticks)
76. flea markets and antique fairs
77. staying inside when you’ve had too much sun, blasting the a/c, and watching movies
78. retro bathing beauty swimsuits
79. country church suppers
80. pretending to be Amèlie on Bastille Day
81. driving with the top down
82. crickets
83. the sound of lawn mowers
84. open windows
85. kids in sunglasses
86. sand between your toes
87. sitting in the shade on a hot day
88. the sound of ocean waves
89. blackberries
90. a cool breeze on a hot day
91. flip flops
92. the smoky smell of people barbecuing in the evenings
93. relaxed attitudes
94. surfing
95. spotting hot air balloons
96. skinny dipping
97. dogs with their heads out car windows, tongues wagging
98. bicycles built for two
99. snorkeling
100. neighborhood block parties
101. the weightlessness

(from Pink of Perfection)

The History of Independence Day

For more videos related to American Independence see:

Fourth of July History

Thomas Jefferson Meets John Adams

Jefferson Writes the Declaration of Independence

Declaration of Independence

Matt Damon: The Declaration of Independence

History of Independence Day

All these and more can be found on the History Channel Topics page under July 4th

There's even more on the USA.gov page under  Fourth of July is Independence Day

or on PBS.org under A Capitol Fourth

The Approval of the Declaration of Independence

This is a scene from the John Adams mini-series, in which the Congress approves the Declaration of Independence.



There are other scenes from this mini-series available on YouTube.

The NFL Declaration of Independence

Various members of the NFL (and one Widow of a NFL Player) recite from the Declaration of Independence. This was played on Fox channel during the  2008 SuperBowl.

Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence is read in Independence Hall by many popular actors, including Mel Gibson, Michael Douglas, Whoopi Goldberg, Winona Ryder, and others.

Fireworks

Ooh, there's gonna be fireworks (Fireworks!)

On the Fourth of July (red, white, and blue!)

Red, white, and blue fireworks

Like diamonds in the sky. (diamonds in the sky!)

We're gonna shoot the entire works on fireworks

That really show, oh yeah,

We declared our liberty 200 years ago.

Yeah!

In 1776 (fireworks!)

There were fireworks too (red, white, and blue!)

The original colonists,

You know their tempers blew (They really blew!)

Like Thomas Paine once wrote:

It's only common sense (only common sense)

That if a government won't give you your basic rights

You'd better get another government.

And though some people tried to fight it,

Well, a committee was formed to write it:

Benjamin Franklin, Philip Livingston ^*,  (see note)

John Adams, Roger Sherman, Thomas Jefferson,

They got it done (Oh yes they did!)

The Declaration, uh-huh-huh,

The Declaration of Independence (Oh yeah!)

In seventeen hundred seventy six (Right on!)

The Continental Congress said that we were free (We're free!)

Said we had the right of life and liberty,

...And the pursuit of happiness!

Ooh, when England heard the news, (Kerpow!)

They blew their stack (They really blew their cool!)

But the colonists lit the fuse,

There'd be no turning back (no turnin' back!)

They'd had enough of injustice now

But even if it really hurts, oh yeah,

If you don't give us our freedom now

You're gonna see some fireworks!

And on the Fourth of July they signed it

And 56 names underlined it,

And now to honor those first 13 states,

We turn the sky into a birthday cake.

They got it done (Oh yes they did!)

The Declaration, uh-huh-huh,

The Declaration of Independence (Oh yeah!)

In seventeen hundred seventy six (Right on!)

The Continental Congress said that we were free (We're free!)

Said we had the right of life and liberty,

...And the pursuit of happiness!

We hold these truths to be self-evident,

That all men are created equal

And that they are endowed by their creator

With certain inalienable rights.

That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

And if there's one thing that makes me happy,

Then you know that it's (ooh)

There's gonna be fireworks!


* Although the lyrics as written say "Phillip Livingston", the writing committee included "Robert Livingston," who was called away by his state and never signed the Declaration. "Phillip Livingston" was not part of the committee that wrote the Declaration, but was a signer. See the Wikipedia entry for more information.

The Shot Heard 'Round the World

"The British are coming! The British are coming!"

Now, the ride of Paul Revere set the nation on its ear,

And the shot at Lexington heard 'round the world,

When the British fired in the early dawn

The War of Independence had begun,

The die was cast, the rebel flag unfurled.

And on to Concord marched the foe

To seize the arsenal there you know,

Waking folks searching all around

Till our militia stopped them in their tracks,

At the old North Bridge we turned them back

And chased those Redcoats back to Boston town.

And the shot heard 'round the world

Was the start of the Revolution.

The Minute Men were ready, on the move.

Take your powder, and take your gun.

Report to General Washington.

Hurry men, there's not an hour to lose!

Now, at famous Bunker Hill,

Even though we lost, it was quite a thrill,

The rebel Colonel Prescott proved he was wise;

Outnumbered and low on ammunition

As the British stormed his position

He said, "Hold your fire till you see the whites of their eyes!"

Though the next few years were rough,

General Washington's men proved they were tough,

Those hungry, ragged boys would not be beat.

One night they crossed the Delaware,

Surprised the Hessians in their lair,

And at Valley Forge they just bundled up their feet!

And the shot heard 'round the world

Was the start of the Revolution.

The Minute Men were ready, on the move.

Take your blanket, and take your son.

Report to General Washington.

We've got our rights and now it's time to prove.

Well, they showed such determination that they won the admiration

Of countries across the sea like France and Spain,

Who loaned the colonies ships and guns and put the British on the run

And the Continental Army on its feet again.

And though they lost some battles too,

The Americans swore they'd see it through,

Their raiding parties kept up, hit and run.

At Yorktown the British could not retreat,

Bottled up by Washington and the French Fleet,

Cornwallis surrendered and finally we had won!

The winner!

Hurray!

From the shot heard 'round the world

To the end of the Revolution

The continental rabble took the day

And the father of our country beat the British there at Yorktown

And brought freedom to you and me and the U.S.A.!

God bless America, Let Freedom Ring!

No More Kings

Rockin' and a-rollin', splishin' and a-splashin',

Over the horizon. What could it be?

The Pilgrims sailed the sea to find a place to call their own.

In their ship, Mayflower, they hoped to find a better home.

They finally knocked on Plymouth Rock and someone said, 

"We're there. This may not look like home, but at this point I don't care."

Oh, they were missing Mother England,

They swore their loyalty until the very end.

"Anything you say, King. It's OK, King.

You know it's kinda scary on your own.

Gonna build a new land the way we planned.

Could you help us run it 'til it's grown?"

They planted corn, you know, they built their houses one by one.

And bit by bit they worked until the colonies were done.

They looked around, yeah, up and down and someone said, 

"Hurray! If the King could only see us now he would be proud of us today."

They knew that now they'd run their own land,

But George the 3rd said that he'd rule them 'til the end.

"Anything I say, do it  my way now.

Anything I say, do it my way.

Don't you getting to feeling independent 'cause I'm gonna force you to obey."

He taxed their property. He didn't give them any choice.

And back in England he didn't give them any voice.

(That's called taxation without representation, and it's not fair.)

He even had the nerve to tax our cup of tea.

To put it kindly King, "We really don't agree.

Gonna show you how it feels. We're gonna dump this tea."

And turn this harbor into the biggest cup of tea in history.
They wanted no more Mother England.
They knew the time had come for them to take command.
"It's very clear you're being unfair, King.
No matter what you say, we won't obey.
Gonna hold a revolution now, King.
And we're gonna run it all our way - with no more kings...
We're gonna elect a president! (No more kings)
He's gonna do what the people want! (No more kings)
We're gonna run things our way! (No more kings)
Nobody's gonna tell us what to do!"
Rockin' and a-rollin', splishin' and a-splashin',
Over the horizon, what can it be?
Looks like it's gonna be a free country.