"It is a great day. It is a good day."

[bluestocking79]

Happy Independence Day to all my fellow Americans on the flist! May your watermelon be juicy, your fireworks bright and your hearts filled with gratitude for family, friends and freedoms large and small

Comments

[bluestocking79]

Great minds think alike again, hmm? :D

Happy 4th, and I hope you have a great time with your son! It sounds like you have some delicious things planned, and if I didn't have to drive through Wisconsin to get there, I would indeed want to crash your picnic. ;-)

Okay, now I have to go back to cooking and such...

[bluestocking79]

Our 4th was pretty great, even though planning it had me pulling my hair out! The food came out well, the weather was beautiful (for the first time in a week), and the company was pretty good, even accounting for the slight weirdness of my seventy-something great-aunt bringing her new boyfriend to introduce to everybody. (A man none of us even knew existed until earlier this week...) I got a nasty headache just as everybody was leaving, but my sinuses are to blame for that, and it didn't wreck the party.

I'm glad you all had a good time, and I have to tell you that Spammy is entirely adorable. What a sweet face! I'm glad she enjoyed her first fireworks display.

[majorjune]

Yeah, happy Independence Day to those of you who actually GET the day as a holiday and don't have to work the whole weekend like I do! ;-)

(Next day off isn't until Wednesday, boo hoo!)

Anyways, not to be a colonial history geek (even though I AM!), just a reminder that the Declaration of Independence was actually signed on July 2nd -- it just that it took 2 days to get the word (and copies of the document) out to the 13 colonies in those days, so everyone remembered July 4th as the day they first HEARD about the Declaration, hence that date became the official date for celebration.

;-)

[bluestocking79]

Sorry you don't have the day off! It's unfortunate but true that for some professions, there are no breaks. I think we all ought to appreciate the people who do that work and make that sacrifice.

Hee! I did know about the gap between the signing and the time the news was made public, which is why I said that this is the observed anniversary. *g* I'm also a huge American history buff, particularly on the subject of John Adams. (The title of this post comes from his last words, upon realizing that he'd lived to see the 50th anniversary of the signing. He died later that day, only a few hours after Thomas Jefferson passed away. Legend has it that both men mentioned each other on their deathbeds.)

[majorjune]

Sorry you don't have the day off! It's unfortunate but true that for some professions, there are no breaks. I think we all ought to appreciate the people who do that work and make that sacrifice.'rou

[bluestocking79]

LOL! Well, yes, it is a bit of historical embroidery, although the animosity between Adams and Jefferson is, to a certain extent, overblown. Their relationship was much more complex than mere dislike or rivalry, although there's no question that their time in Washington embroiled in presidential politics led to a lot of bitterness, rivalry and hurt feelings. (The election of 1801, in particular, was a deep wound between them.) They did eventually mend fences and begin exchanging long, rich and involved correspondence, and although they always found plenty of things to heatedly debate, I think it's safe to say that by the time of their passing, they were actually quite fond of each other. As Annie Talbot said earlier today, the two men shaped each other and pushed each other to become better than they would have been alone. Jefferson was a far-sighted, gifted writer, Adams was a brilliant and commanding orator, and when they pooled their talents, great things happened

[yellowhorde]

Happy 4th! I have to work tonight, so no firworks for me. Bah. Oh, well, they drive Margo insane anyway. XD

You know, the voice of the man who plays Mr. Adams is very familiar... I'll have to do a google search otherwise I'm going to go crazy wondering.

[bluestocking79]

Happy 4th to you, too! Sorry you'll miss out on the fireworks! Although I haven't been to watch the fireworks for a few years either, and yeah, the one that people set off in the neighborhood make my cats crazy. It's just scary for pets!

Mr. Adams is played by William Daniels, and you probably recognize him from either St. Elsewhere or Boy Meets World, where he played Mr. Feeny!

[yellowhorde]

I've never really watched those shows, but he did do the voice of KITT, the car in Knight Rider, the original series. *^-^* I loved that show as a kid. ♥

[bluestocking79]

Oh, you're right! Wow, I forgot all about that, but I loved that show when I was a kid, too. :D

[samantha_vimes]

I'm obnoxious and disliked, you know it's true. :D

Thanks for the reminder-- I like to always rewatch 1776 on the 4th.

[bluestocking79]

Yay! I love that line so very much. :D My history teacher introduced me to 1776 when I was twelve years old, and I've loved it ever since. William Daniels is the most perfect John Adams, albeit a lot better looking. Did you know that Brent Spiner played Adams on Broadway?

[queenp71]

I introduced my students to 1776 this last year. :) I love it! I was surprised by the sheer number of my students who didn't want me to stop it each day when the bell rang--"Noooooo, I want to see what is next!"

[bluestocking79]

That's a great idea, and it's wonderful that the students are into it! It's a great teaching tool for actually getting kids interested in that section of history, because it's fun and well done, and more than that, it makes the Founding Fathers real, relatable people in a way that a history book can't. I remember that the kids in my class really loved the movie, too, and on me... well. Let's just say that a few years after watching the movie, I was an unofficial John Adams expert and had decided to major in political theory, so that I could endlessly comb over the Colonial period. *g*