“I wept, not so much from my own suffering as from sorrow that such things should be in our own country, where Justice and Freedom and Liberty of Conscience have been the annual boast of Fourth-of-July orators so many years.”

https://library.hrmtc.com/2025/10/29/i-wept-not-so-much-from-my-own-suffering-as-from-sorrow-that-such-things-should-be-in-our-own-country-where-justice-and-freedom-and-liberty-of-conscience-have-been-the-annual-boast-of-fourth-of-ju/

#annualBoast #book #CyrusGPringle #FourthOfJuly #Freedom #inOurOwnCountry #justice #LibertyOfConscience #manyYears #myOwnSuffering #notSoMuch #orators #quote #sorrow #suchThings #wept

America250 plans a record-breaking display for the 250th birthday of the nation. Taller than the Empire State Building!

#America250 #USFlag #Patriotism #RecordBreaking #FourthOfJuly #Trump #NationalPride #StarsAndStripes #HistoricCelebration #USA250 #usnews #annakarolinaheinrich

https://news-annakarolinaheinrich.com/record-breaking-u-s-flag-planned-for-americas-250th-birthday

A quotation from John Adams

John Adams (1735-1826) American lawyer, Founding Father, statesman, US President (1797-1801)
Letter (1776-07-03, p.m.) to Abigail Adams

Sourcing, notes: wist.info/adams-john/6048/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #johnadams #celebration #DeclarationOfIndependence #FourthOfJuly #independence #independenceday

Fourth Fireworks

I grew up often launching fireworks from a beach on Lake Michigan or in a field outside Sioux Falls. Sometimes we also went to a big county park or similar fireworks show. Kid has never experienced one of these, so we decided now was as good a time as any!

In recent years we’ve just watched fireworks off our roof deck in the distance to the west, or crossed our neighborhood to the other side of the hill to watch the big show over Lake Union from the side. That was fun but also kind of a crowded mess of everyone milling around on a random residential street with an overlook.

This year we decided to get tickets to the seated viewing area next to MOHAI (not the bigger busier party at Gas Works Park). It was a nice fireworks show, though a bit farther away than we expected. Still fun to see a big display, although also colored by what’s going on in the world. Something about celebrating the spirit of freedom even if that’s not what we’ve had really ever, and especially lately.

The music during the show was an odd playlist, none of the traditional staples like what Boston Pops does at the bandshell. Of course there was some good newer pop from Chappell Roan, but also a cringey Toby Keith song.

Afterwards to get clear of the crowds we walked along Mercer back to Uptown before boarding a delayed bus up the hill… already bearing my sister, niece, and dad (who had also viewed the show from another location and transferred downtown). Also while we waited at the bus stop we ran into a teen returning from his job who had been a former student of kid’s 5th grade teacher and had been back to judge their mock trial a few weeks ago.

Overall a really fun family night out!

#family #fireworks #fourthOfJuly #holiday #lake #seattle