Flashback Friday - Patriotic Memories

With the Fourth of July just a couple of days away, I thought it would be fun to have a patriotic flashback. If you are not a citizen of the USA, feel free to adjust the flashback to your particular country. (I had no idea until someone commented yesterday that Thursday was Canada's birthday!)

When you were growing up, did your family do anything special to celebrate Independence Day or other patriotic occasions? Did you hang a flag? What about neighborhood or town parades, picnics, neighborhood parties, etc.? Did you attend fireworks displays? Were personal fireworks permitted where you lived and, if so, did your family do them?

MY FLASHBACK:
My parents were a somewhat strange mixture of patriotic and not. My dad always put the flag out on the 4th of July, and we had a record with patriotic music that we always played. However, I only remember once or twice that we went to see the fireworks - my dad hated getting in the crowds and traffic! I always thought he was no fun, but guess what?! My man and I hate getting in the crowds and traffic so we rarely go!

Personal firecrackers were (and still are) illegal in Houston. Of course, there would be people doing them anyway, and it always scared me to lie in bed and hear the popping. One reason it particularly scared me was because the boys next door, who were about my siblings' ages, did them and one of them lost two fingers.

About 18 years ago, we had a great cul-de-sac of neighbors and one of the men was a Scout executive who was in charge of Boy Scout camp activities, so he always coordinated a fun street party. But about half the houses on our street have changed owners and most of them are much more reclusive.

We live outside the city limits, so fireworks are legal (if there isn't a burn ban). Since our kids have been older we've gotten them some fireworks and my man closely supervises them. And we'll sometimes bring out a boom box and play Stars and Stripes Forever while they launch them. It's amazing how fancy personal fireworks are now! We've had quite a show a couple of years. (It also amazes me that some folks around the neighborhood spend hundreds of dollars on fireworks!)

This Saturday night the area Optimist Club, whose ball fields are right behind our house, will do a fireworks show, which will be great because we can sit in our breakfast room and see it perfectly! We won't have to put up with mosquitos or the mess, and we'll have air conditioning and an available bathroom!

I'm thinking that my Flashback is one of the duller ones. Share your memories and link up here!