Come Selahway With Me…

Quick Admin Note: because this hop overlaps with the Angels vs. Demons blog hop – you can still comment on that post one post back. Anything after July first on that hop will be disqualified so be sure to check the date and which blog hop you’re commenting on!

As a little kid I loved Fourth of July. It was a day for picnics, friends and family, fireworks, and good old summer fun.

And then I discovered politics. I will admit that I am fairly liberal to the point that I know not to open my big fat mouth around people because it never ends well. The older I get the more I realize I’m just not that interested in fighting over something like that. We all have our opinions and we’re lucky enough to be able to vote on them.

It’s interesting that every time I think I’ve become sufficiently cynical, I end up loving this holiday all over again. Truth be told, as frustrating as any system can be, I feel very lucky to be American. We really do have privileges that are unique to us as a country, and I’m very fascinated by colonial history since I have a relative who fought in the revolution. In a bizarre twist of fate, my family got a call one morning when I was much younger and were told that this guy had written a book about said relative…and suddenly there was a rich part of my heritage right in my lap.

I have never felt so much of a wuss in my life. Seriously, reading about what the colonial soldiers suffered through and how long they’d march in the bitter cold or rain and just put up with infirmary or disease…it’s humbling. And then there are the pioneers (also a rich part of my family) who made due through hardships that many of us today just could never contemplate. We are very lucky to be living in the time and place we’re at. Things may not be perfect,but as far as I know there’s no utopia in the world yet, so we’re pretty lucky to have what we’ve got.

This year I don’t have plans per say, but I love watching fireworks on TV and I’m hoping that if I bat my eyes enough that the family might barbecue and break out a few sparklers (because everything is better with sparklers). This is a day where I feel like it’s okay to take pride in the greater good and to hang out with family and not feel schmaltzy about it. It’s a good day, indeed.

So it’s giveaway time! What are your plans for the Fourth? If you’re international how do you celebrate national pride? What’s a good summer celebration in your book? Do you run through the sprinkler or hang out by the pool? Do you do ice cream or popsicles? Road trips? Reunions?

If you leave a comment be sure to leave your email! I will randomly choose a winner from the comments and they will win a FREE PDF copy of their choice of my releases: Mooner or The Other Man.

And if you like my blog posts  be sure to catch up with me on Facebook and Twitter (though since I’m not using rafflecopter yet these won’t contribute to the contest – this is just if you feel you want more of me in your life!)

I will be announcing the winner after the fourth and will notify them by email as well.

Good Luck and be sure to check out all the other giveaways at The Blog Hop Spot!