Yankee Doodle Woman

I ran a couple of summer and/or Fourth of July-themed cartoons this morning while having blueberries and Shredded Wheat for breakfast. In addition to the three Looney Tunes, Disney, and Pink Panther shorts I did last year, I added a trio from Walter Lantz. Woody Woodpecker plays boardwalk fortune teller and drives Wally Walrus up the pilings in The Beach Nut. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit finds Confidence from FDR when his farm is hit by the Great Depression. And we get a musical Hysterical Lesson In American History with a spoof of everything from Christopher Columbus' voyage to Depression breadlines.

The Oaklyn Town Parade was supposed to start at 10AM. Of course it didn't. It never starts on time. It finally showed up around quarter of 11. I showed up at 10 after 10 and easily found a spot on the curb. Good thing. When the parade did finally appear, the curb was packed with kids, parents, grandparents, and college students. The American Legion and VFW marched with flags. There were floats from the Boy Scouts, the Oaklyn Library, and several schools, small string bands, and local Little League teams. Everyone threw candy! Kids around me scrambled for Dubble Bubble gum pieces, Brach's Ice Mints and Butterscotch discs, Tootsie Rolls in flag-themed wrappers, taffy, Airheads, lollypops, lemon drops, Pixie Sticks, mint puffs, Starlights, and bags of Swedish Fish and sour gummy candies. Kids drove by in patriotically-decorated bikes. The fire trucks, with their noisy horn blasts, were the finale.

After the parade finished, I followed everyone to the end of Oaklyn School at the end of West Clinton Avenue for the annual Post-Parade Ceremony. One of the string bands played "America the Beautiful" as we all saluted the flag. The mayor made a speech and announced the winners of the float contest. (The Boy Scouts won first place. Oaklyn Library placed third.) St Mark's Church donated free hot dogs and fixings in the back of the school. I grabbed my free hot dog and headed back to my place.

I went to work about an hour later. The first half of work was even crazier than yesterday, with longer lines and fewer people to work them. Thankfully, by 4:30, most people had finally gone to their barbecues and parties. When I left at 6:30, the place was dead as a doornail.

Went straight home after work. I tossed chicken legs, onions, and barbecue sauce in the Crock Pot before I left. When I came back, my apartment smelled like molasses and chicken stock and spices. I made a cucumber and tomato salad, added one of the whole wheat rolls, and had a lovely Fourth of July dinner.

Ran Yankee Doodle Dandy during dinner. I remember watching this every 4th of July with my family when I was little. We loved it so much, Mom finally bought it on video a bit later. James Cagney won an Oscar portraying George M. Cohan, beloved early 20th Century performer, playwright, and author of such classic tunes as "Mary's a Grand Old Name," "Over There," "Yankee Doodle Dandy," "Give My Regards to Broadway," "Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway," and "Harrigan."

I headed out to the fireworks a little early. The fireworks are at the Collingswood High School's football field, but they're quite visible from Newton River Park. That's where I watched them, after a stop at CVS across the street for contact lens solution and floss.

It was really nice. I spread out an old sheet, took off my sandals, and poured myself onto the cool white and blue sheet. It felt so nice and soft against the dry, brittle grass. There was a delectable breeze coming off of Newton River. I listened to boys play soft ball in front of me and college students babble to my left and read Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm until it got too dark to read.

Unlike the parade, the fireworks were on time. The were gorgeous, as always. The people around me oohed and ahhed over the glorious, noisy rockets exploding into glittering poofy golds, sparkling floaty purples, brilliant patriotic blues, majestic reds, glistening sunset pinks, and emerald greens that glowed with thousand-watt brightness. It was nice to be able to just lean back and watch all that beauty go off, in the best seat in the house, one with plenty of room to spread out and an incredible view.

(I didn't have the best view in the house. At least four or five planes passed by during the display. One went so close, I was sure it would get fried.)

With just me, the blanket, and my book and things from CVS to gather, I got home far quicker than many people who brought more, including other people. I followed the crowds past CVS and down West Lakeview, then went down Newton to West Clinton.

I was struck at how wonderfully quiet Manor Avenue was as I strolled home. There were only a few homes that had lights on. A couple more had their front lights on, or patriotic light displays. Most were probably on vacation at the Jersey Shore or Poconos, or visiting family, or caught in traffic coming back from the fireworks. The air had the earthy, fruity smell of blossoming lilies and dry grass and trees in full flower combined with the faint tinge of smoke from fireworks and barbecues. I remember a similar smell from the wooded area in Rio Grande around the old pond where Dad used to take my sisters and I swimming when we were younger. It brought up some wonderful memories.

I went online when I got home. I'm just finishing up the Ragtime original Broadway cast album, which I listen to every Fourth of July. I hope all of my American readers had an equally memorable Fourth!