America 249

With it being the Fourth of July this week, I had five days in a row of celebration! Six if you count my mom's birthday on Monday, but we didn't really do much besides grabbing dinner. 

On Tuesday, July 1, the State of Utah kicked off America 250, a yearlong celebration to commemorate 250 years of the Declaration of Independence next year. 

Look, here's the elephant in the room. It is so unfortunate that this is happening during our current political moment. I understand that some people don't want to celebrate the Fourth of July, and that's fair. In the second half of the 1840s, Latter-day Saints didn't celebrate the Fourth, because they felt the government had let them down, and in 1854, Providence, Rhode Island, didn't celebrate the Fourth because of the Fugitive Slave Act.

But for me, I'm going to continue to celebrate. For one thing, the alt-right thinks they're the true guardians of patriotism, but we can't let them. For another thing, with everything good that Trump and his associates are trying to take away, we can't let them take away the beloved institution of the Fourth of July as well. I'm taking a long view of American history, and though we're in an infuriating moment, I can celebrate what we have been and what we hope to become again.

Anyway, America250 is being helped by Utah's Department of Cultural and Community Engagement, which houses the Utah Historical Society (UHS). Since my employer is involved, I got paid to attend the kickoff event.

There were various booths set up. One man had artifacts from the American Revolution, including George Washington's wallet. He said that John Adams said we should celebrate July 2, not July 4, with fireworks. The man was right about July 2, but not fireworks. Adams said "illuminations," and in those days they would put candles in the windows for celebrations. Yet I have seen many places get this wrong, such as a story on the news and a fireworks commercial. Fireworks are fine, but don't misquote John Adams! I hope the blog post I wrote for UHS can help set the record straight. 

One booth was handing out cherry hand pies to promote America's Potluck, which is meant for communities to hold gatherings with their neighbors on Sunday, July 5, 2026. I love the idea of America's Potluck. But as an introvert who always thinks I'm bothering people, I don't know if I can commit to hosting such a potluck.

They also encourage people to walk or move 250 miles before next Fourth of July. I'm confident I'll run that far before next year.

While I waited for the ceremony to start, I sat in my lawn chair and read from The Memory of '76. I am really interested in historical memory, especially pertaining to holidays, in this case the Fourth of July. 

There were musical numbers from the One Voice Children's Choir and mostly inoffensive remarks from Marie Osmond, Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson, and Governor Spencer Cox.

That evening, I noticed that we have a currant bush in our yard that had ripe currants on it. For the first time in my life, I tried them, and I was surprised how good they were! I picked enough to make a sauce—I imagined it being like cranberry sauce, but the berries didn't dissolve like cranberries. I do think the currants don't yield much for the work that goes into picking them. 

On Wednesday, July 2, North Salt Lake had its annual car show at the Eaglewood Golf Course. I don't care about cars, but I walked up to grab dinner at one of the food trucks.

Thursday, July 3, was the annual fireworks show. I was thinking we had gone most years, but then I began thinking about all the times we didn't go, and there were quite a few. This was the first summer  that none of my brother's kids were here for the fireworks since 2013. (They were here in 2020, but there weren't fireworks that year.) I went super early so I could get dinner and read more from The Memory of '76. Actually, when I got there, I realized I had forgotten my book, so I walked home and then went back up. As I was walking home in my red, white, and blue outfit, a tween boy said to me, "Are you from Tennessee? Because you're the only ten I see." I'm fairly indifferent about fireworks themselves, but I love this community event and sitting outside on a summer evening. 

I woke up early on July 4, so I got up early and baked a cake and made ice cream. Then I ran up North Canyon.

The first fireweed I saw of the season

Trail running can be a dusty hobby

When I got home, the cake had cooled enough for me to decorate it. I made this flag cake two years ago and loved it, so I wanted to do it again this year.

Last year I made cilantro ice cream, and this year I made mint ice cream using the mint that grows at the front of our house. I steeped the plants in the milk mixture before I froze it. It was the plantiest-tasting ice cream I've ever had. (Actually, when I got my ice cream maker in 2021, I made it, but I kept the mint leaves themselves in the ice cream, which wasn't the greatest, and I also added chopped peppermint patties. This version was simpler.) 

The next day, I put the currant "sauce" on top

We took all our foods to my sister's house for a cookout. I also got to see my parents' new trailer, which is their fourth trailer in seven years.

I went home and napped, just in time for a significant hailstorm. Then I watched Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July, a super weird movie that makes less sense every time I watch it.

And in the evening, I met a friend, and we went up the Wild Rose Trail to see people's fireworks in the valley. It was a pretty low-key holiday.

Then Saturday, July 5, I went up North Canyon again. I always like to see sego lilies after the Fourth of July up there, but this year they were already gone. On my way down, two separate runners ran past me. It doesn't make me feel great when people run past me when I'm running. But at least it was downhill and not uphill! 

I always like spotting fungi

Then in the evening, my mom and I went to Salt Lake's drone show. We went last year and wanted to return this year. I don't know why they do it on July 5, but I see that date as the transition from Fourth of July to Twenty-Fourth of July, so I don't mind. We got there super early so we could find a good parking spot and a good sitting spot. There were two live bands: Full Blown Horns, a New Orleans–style brass band, and Timeless Country, which is what it sounds like. There was a Salt Lake City employee taking pictures, and he took pictures of me because of my star-spangled shoes, socks, and hat.

Then the drones started at ten. It only lasted ten minutes, but I think it was worth it. Here are all the drone images, but in reverse order because it's easier to post them that way.

Happy July Holidays! I'm just disappointed we're getting back to a normal week starting tomorrow.