It’s now July 4th, 2020. A few decades ago it would have been a day on the pontoon with family and friends. Ice cold beer and floating on tubes If I close my eyes, I can put myself back there. Good memories. I’m sure everyone has a few of those days stored in their brains. Today is Independence Day, International Cherry Pit Spitting Day, Alice in Wonderland Day, National Barbecue Day, National Barbecued Spareribs Day, National Country Music Day and National Caesar Salad Day. Since we’re doing a rack of ribs today, that will be my pick. Now for some historical footnotes. The 5 people selected to draft the Declaration of Independence were Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Sherman and Livingston. Adams always thought that July 2 was the proper date to celebrate and refused to participate in celebrations on the 4th. Jefferson and Adams both died on July 4, 1826. On this day in 1862 Lewis Carroll tells Alice Liddell a story that would grow into Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. This is the day in 1863 that the confederate troops surrender at Vicksburg, Mississippi after 47 days of siege. On this day in 1918 Bolsheviks kill Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family. Lastly, on this day in 1939 Lou Gehrig, diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, informs a crowd at Yankee Stadium that he considers himself “The luckiest man on the face of the earth” and then retires from baseball. Since I’ve already said that Jefferson and Adams died on July 4, first a quote from Jefferson, “On matters of style, swim with the current, on matters of principle, stand like a rock.”. John Adams said, ““I am a warrior, so that my son may be a merchant, so that his son may be a poet.” Both good quotes for today. Now, have the most fun you can today. Abide.
