Let’s face it. It’s hard to get much more American than attending a baseball game on July 4 in the city that was the birthplace of our nation. Long before “The Star Spangled Banner” was penned by Francis Scott Key, a group of brave and forward-thinking men embarked upon a human experiment that resulted in a country still thriving today.
True, we have our problems. True, it is a paradox that the very men who were promoting the concept of freedom did not see the injustice of slavery and its ramifications. True, those men did not understand that women were of equal intelligence and not to be treated as property, but their mindset was common to the culture of the times. We can be grateful that times have changed, and freedom is a concept to be embraced by all.
We’d never been to Philadelphia, and it was never on my list of places I desired to go. It was, however, interesting and enjoyable. We did the “hop-on, hop-off” tour and saw places like Independence Hall, the Congressional Hall where John Adams was sworn in as president, the Liberty Bell, the Betsy Ross house, and other sites. We ate Philly cheesesteak sandwiches (after all, we were in Philly, so you kind of have to do that) at the Reading Terminal Market and bought ice cream at the nation’s longest continuous ice cream shop.The sandwich? Really good. The ice cream? Nothing exceptional.
On Friday, July 4, we walked a few feet from our hotel to board the subway that took us straight to the ballpark. This was our third ballgame of the week. We’d been in Pittsburgh Monday and Tuesday, where my husband, a lifelong Pirates fan, was thrilled to witness his team beat the Cardinals both games. We live in Cardinals country, so he takes a lot of abuse for being a Pirates fan.
Back to the Phillies game. I’m not a baseball fan, although I’ve attended many games and watched a few on TV over the years, so I can’t describe any particulars. However, I thought it was pretty cool to be participating in a stereotypical American activity. And just as I’d had to eat the Philly cheesesteak sandwich, I felt obligated to have a hot dog, although I usually avoid that type of food. I usually avoid red meat, also, but hey, I was on vacation.
Before the 7th inning stretch, a woman sang “God Bless America.” Unlike the national anthem, during which time people stood and listened, the crowd sang along with her. They continued to sing (of course) when it was time for “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” We had conversations with those sitting near us. The people of Philadelphia truly were friendly.
Would I want to go back to Philadelphia? Probably not. It was a good one-time visit, but there are too many other bucket-list places I want to visit. I don’t even really care about trips to the Florida/Alabama beaches because I’ve been there so much. I want to see something different. So I guess I’m saying at this stage of my life, I’m not interested in repeating experiences. I’m about new ones.
Although time at the beach with my family would be okay because I’d be with them. That would be my focus, not the beach itself.
Maybe you’ve taken trips that surprised you or trips that disappointed you. Maybe you’ve taken trips you’d want to repeat or trips you never want to experience again. And maybe you don’t care about travel at all, which is fine. We’re all different.
But I’ll always remember this particular July 4th as the most patriotic one I have ever experienced. That make sit special.
Something else that’s special is this delicious blueberry bread I discovered in 2012 when my dad was in hospice care and people from church were bringing us food. When we tried this, I had to have the recipe, and I’ve been making it regularly ever since. I know an apple pie or homemade ice cream recipe might be more “American,” but I like this better. I hope you enjoy it!
Blueberry Bread
Ingredients:
1 cup roasted chopped pecans (optional)
1 slightly heaping cup of sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup orange juice
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon softened butter
Instructions:
If you plan to use pecans, place one cup of chopped pecans in a baking dish and roast in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
Stir together sugar and flour. In a separate bowl, place frozen blueberries and add just enough of the sugar/flour mixture to coat. Set aside. Add egg, orange juice, oil, and softened butter to the sugar/flour mixture and stir well. Add pecan pieces (optionalL).
Using a colander held above this mixture, pour blueberries into colander and allow the extra sugar/flour mixture to be added. Stir again.
In a loaf (glass or metal) pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil, pour half the batter. Place half the frozen blueberries on top of this layer. Add the rest of the batter and place the remaining blueberries on top. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes.
This makes a great dessert or breakfast treat.
Life As I know it 