For so many years, our Fourth of July celebrations consisted of blowing stuff up on Roger's dad's property. I LOVE this holiday. I LOVE blowing stuff up. And I LOVE taking photos. The photo to the left is one of my favorites from our own little fireworks display. If you look closely, you'll see the trail of how the firework went UP...then DOWN...then started to explode. Did I mention that I LOVE this holiday? And this year? Oh...this year was SO different.You see, we got invited to a creek party. In the middle of NOWHERE. And when I say in the middle of nowhere, I mean it. I honestly was shocked that I had cell service. It took us 20 minutes on the highway to reach the turnoff, then another 10 minutes on a bumpy lane, before we landed at the creek. The contractor who built our home owns the property, and he and his entire extended family had a HUGE blowout, complete with fireworks, food, and live music. As I enjoyed the kind of relaxation that is priceless, I reflected on the fact that just two weeks ago, I had been sitting in a revolving lounge, atop one of the tallest buildings in LA, enjoying a chocolate martini. For some reason, sitting creekside in my tank top with a beer was SO much better.
Oh, and they blow stuff up the same way we do - only I think with a little more enthusiasm.
There were some GREAT musicians at this gathering, and they let my husband sit in for a few jams. There was singing, and picking, and grinning. I think Roger was the one doing most of the grinning.
The party was so good, we actually came back on the 5th! It was more low-key, and as relaxing as ever. I know I'm not the typical "country" girl, but there is truly something to be said for living in this area. The people are REAL, you know? I felt at home, even though I didn't know hardly anyone in attendance. I honestly can't remember having had a more fun time on the 4th of July. Or the 5th.Back home, we still had fireworks. Now that we live outside the city limits, we can shoot fireworks off AT OUR OWN HOME! For the first time! So I set the boys in motion to make our annual fireworks launching pad:
I know it was technically the 6th of July, but what else are you supposed to do with leftover fireworks? Besides, everyone around us was firing them that night, too.
Last night, we even heard more fireworks exploding. Something tells me I've lived in the city too long. I think the country life was calling my name.Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

Yeah, that's four drinks. You know, the planes are LONG, and who knows when the flight attendant might be able to return with that magical cart of beverages? It could be an hour or more, and I was NOT going to run out of therapy.
In all my trips to Southern California, I've NEVER been that close to a celebrity. I could have TOUCHED the man, if I had wanted to be escorted out of the area in handcuffs.



I also have fond memories of "Ugly Shopping," where we would try to find the most hideous piece of clothing (VERY easy during the '80s) during a shopping excursion. Then we would laugh hysterically as other shoppers would ooh and aah over the same monstrosity. I also remember learning to drive with my mom in the car. In particular, there was an incident during a Houston rainstorm where I was behind the wheel, and Mom was my passenger. I couldn't see a thing with the rain pounding down so heavily, so I took my hands off the steering wheel and closed my eyes. My mother screamed at me until I regained my senses - probably fearing for her life! How she survived raising me, I'll never know!
This is one I designed on my own - not quite as fancy, but all those pins and sequins are a real pain to get just right:
Oh, and does making kick-ass margaritas count for something?
Now go check out how talented our Fun Monday participants are!





Now go check out some other collections at Mariposa's!

























Yes, Shaun Cassidy. Me and 1,000,000 other girls my age pined for him. Not the most talented singer, but can you imagine running your fingers thru that hair? Sigh.
I like his voice a lot, too - it was kinda lispy. Remember the song "Too Much Time on My Hands?" Or maybe you were a fan of "Renegade?" Well, my husband took me to a Styx concert in Fort Smith a few years ago...and I was shocked that Tommy now looks like this:


