Happy Birthday, Happy Independence Day America

[Addie]

To all Americans here and overseas, and to those who are serving our country, I want to wish us all a HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

Today, across our nation there will be swearing in ceremonies for our new citizens. I want to welcome them also. If you have never been to a swearing in ceremony, I strongly suggest you find out where one in your area is going to be held and attend. If nothing every moves you, or brings tears to your eyes, I guarantee, this will. I have been fortunate enough to be to three of them. One on the USS Constitution, (Old Ironsides) one at Fanuiel Hall, (where John Adams defended the British soldiers of the Boston Massacre) and one at the old Federal Court House in Boston. It is a ceremony that never gets old. Every new citizen is holding up their right hand so high while clinging to their little American flag. And believe me, they treasure that flag. A lot of them frame it and have it proudly hanging in their home.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

 

[LPBeier]

Happy Fourth to you, Addie, and all my American friends here. I think it is great that our countries' birthdays are only a few days apart! Lots to celebrate on both sides of the border....but you in the US do it up right while we are more quiet partiers!

Have a great day, eh?

 

[MrsLMB]

Happy Independence Day America

Have a safe and happy celebration!

 

[Kayelle]

 

[Mad Cook]

Already said "Happy Birthday" on the what to eat thread.

Lots of 4th of July stuff on the radio. Radio 2's "Friday Night is Music Night" was all American music - "The iconic music of the USA from Broadway to the old west" -

The interval talk was about how technically difficult "the Star Spangled Banner" is to sing which sounds a bit odd but was really very interesting

All in all a good concert. I don't know if this link will play for you

BBC Radio 2 - Friday Night is Music Night, Independence Day

 

[Kayelle]

Thanks so much for your good wishes LP and MC.

 

[Addie]

Already said "Happy Birthday" on the what to eat thread.

Lots of 4th of July stuff on the radio. Radio 2's "Friday Night is Music Night" was all American music - "The iconic music of the USA from Broadway to the old west" -

The interval talk was about how technically difficult "the Star Spangled Banner" is to sing which sounds a bit odd but was really very interesting

All in all a good concert. I don't know if this link will play for you

BBC Radio 2 - Friday Night is Music Night, Independence Day

Thanks MC. I have my headphones on and since I couldn't get to the concert on the Esplanade, this is right up there. Last night all the folks who were at the concert got caught in the downpour. They were sitting on the grass and within seconds were sitting in puddles. The streets surrounding the Esplanade are closed off and for those who came in their cars, it wouldn't have mattered if they even tried to get to them for shelter. And it is a good walk to the public transportation station. I am so glad I don't go there anymore for the concert each year. I used to go every year. Let me tell you sitting out there in the sun from one in the afternoon in 90ºF humid weather is insane. One year I went on my BIL's boat and we had to wait until the Coast Guard told us when we could leave to go through the locks. We got home at 6 a.m. But it was the best time I ever spent at the concert. Attending the concert is only for the young.

 

[cjmmytunes]

Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th. I was just so thankful that we had power and no trees down when I got up this AM. Awful Arthur thought he could kick our butts here in EC, NC - but we showed him!

 

[Addie]

We got some rain and a little breeze. No big deal to write home about.

 

[menumaker]

We heard about the bad weather you were having as my SIL's flight back to Scotland from Bangor was cancelled. Couldn't connect to Philli. All Ok now though I hope?. Our weather here in SW France was awful last week as well. Big Storms and Hail that took out a lot of maize and grape crops. Not good.

 

[cjmmytunes]

Addie, you were so blessed not to get any more.

Menumaker all is 100% better now.

Sent from my SM-N900R4 using Discuss Cooking mobile app

 

[Addie]

We heard about the bad weather you were having as my SIL's flight back to Scotland from Bangor was cancelled. Couldn't connect to Philli. All Ok now though I hope?. Our weather here in SW France was awful last week as well. Big Storms and Hail that took out a lot of maize and grape crops. Not good.

I don't know about the southern part of the eastern coastline, but just rain here in Boston. No big deal. I have made it through Nor'easters, and I can survive hurricanes. By the time they get up this far north, they are just storms of breezes with some rain.

Losing crops is not a good thing. Does that mean the price of wine will go up in the future?

 

[Addie]

Already said "Happy Birthday" on the what to eat thread.

Lots of 4th of July stuff on the radio. Radio 2's "Friday Night is Music Night" was all American music - "The iconic music of the USA from Broadway to the old west" -

The interval talk was about how technically difficult "the Star Spangled Banner" is to sing which sounds a bit odd but was really very interesting

All in all a good concert. I don't know if this link will play for you

BBC Radio 2 - Friday Night is Music Night, Independence Day

I put my head phones on and listened to the whole two hours of the concert. The announcer did a great job of explaining why we revere our flag so strongly. And I had to laugh at the one who tried to sing The Star Spangled Banner. I have never heard it sung with a British accent. One thing he forgot to mention was that it was taken from an old British bar song. The lyrics were purely American, the tune British.

I have it earmark for listening to it again. Thanks for sharing. For those of you who didn't listen to it, give it a shot. Yeah, it is two hours long, but well worth it. I dang near busted my bladder because I didn't want to put it on pause.

 

[menumaker]

Not sure Addie about the price but the quality of the wine in this area may not be a 'vintage' year. France has many regions though so a lot should be OK .Losing the maize is worse I think because it is now too late to re-sow and a lot of the smaller farms grow it for animal feed in the winter or for Bio-fuels which can be a big part of their income. We'll just have to wait and see but when hail is the size of golf balls in that kind of storm you can imagine the damage that can be done in 10 minutes can't you? We were not too bad here, we lost our old apple tree as it fell down but have managed to rescue our beautiful Banksia rose that grew up in it. T has made a wooden frame for it now. Nothing when you compare it to other folk's problems though.

 

[Addie]

The loss of winter feed is a major problem. I always feel bad for farmers when the weather is against them. We don't get hail in these here parts too often. But down south they certainly do. The last place I would want to be in a heavy hail storm is in a car. I have seen where it can just smash the windshield into pieces. Only once did I ever get caught in a hail storm. The hail was big enough to pound holes in your body. Fortunately I was close to home and ran my short little legs off.

I don't know how Arthur was down south, but up here in New England, it just petered down to nothing to write home about.

 

[Mad Cook]

I put my head phones on and listened to the whole two hours of the concert. The announcer did a great job of explaining why we revere our flag so strongly. And I had to laugh at the one who tried to sing The Star Spangled Banner. I have never heard it sung with a British accent. One thing he forgot to mention was that it was taken from an old British bar song. The lyrics were purely American, the tune British.

I have it earmark for listening to it again. Thanks for sharing. For those of you who didn't listen to it, give it a shot. Yeah, it is two hours long, but well worth it. I dang near busted my bladder because I didn't want to put it on pause.

Glad you enjoyed it, Addie. The Star Spangled Banner guy did say something about a glee club with met at the Crown & Anchor Inn in The Strand in London and their song "To Anacreon in Heaven", the song that the music of "The SSB" was taken from.

The programme's announcer had a lovely voice.

On the subject of patriotic songs and their tunes, I sometimes think I can hear the whirring sound of George Washington spinning in his grave when I hear "My Country 'Tis Of Thee", which is sung to the tune of "God Save The Queen" (the British National Anthem). It seems that the writer of "My Country....Thee" didn't know that.