HOME TOWN...

Ever since
 TV came into my life and 
I became intimate 

with Andy and Opie,
 I fantasized about
 "home town" living.

 How much fun 
would it be 
to know all your neighbors,
 not have to lock your doors,  
be able to 
leave your windows open at night and
sneak warm blueberry pies
 off of a windowsill? 

 Santa Cruz,
 where I grew up,
 used to be like that
 but I was too young
 to know it
 at the time.

When we moved to
 Grass Valley and found our Cottage, 
we were elated 
that we had found 
our home town, 
but all times change and
 most of the average small towns 
have the same problems 
as the bigger towns 
only in smaller doses.

 Nonetheless, 
we loved it then and 
still do.

On Independence Day,
 our town and its neighbor, Nevada City,
 take turns
 putting on a parade and 
the fireworks are always displayed 
at the fairgrounds in Grass Valley.

 Our first 4th of July here 
was in 1989 and 
the parade that year 
was held in Nevada City. 

 Nevada City is one of 
the prettiest towns 
you will ever see anywhere and  
it was so Norman Rockwell 
that it was almost scary. 

 People sitting 

on their front porches 
of their stately Victorian homes,
 watching the parade pass by, 
while children ran around 
waving tiny American flags,
 was a sight 
I had only seen in 
books and movies, and 
one I thought 
I would never see again.

When the parade was held 

in Grass Valley, 
it went through 

the downtown area only, 
which is all 
I had ever known
 a parade to do.

After we were here a few years and
had finished some of the
 restoration on the Cottage, 
we hosted a 4th of July party 
in our garden. 
 Most of our family
 and some friends
 were able to make 

the trip and

 it was great fun...

...at the time, 
Jake our grandson,
 was only two or three years old.
  We tried to make it 
an annual affair 
but with growing families,
 it was hard for most
 to make the trip, 
so we didn't do it again.

Throughout the years, 
I think,
 we have become more complacent and 
haven't attended 
as many of the festivities 
as we used to.
  
Like everything else in life,
 we start taking 
too much for granted and 
before we know it, 
time is passing us by.

This year,
 a little something has come along,
 known as Covid-19 and 
things are not 
as they once were.

  There is no 
freedom to congregate 
as we once enjoyed and 
the things that we
 took for granted 
have had to be put aside.

 Being the resourceful human beings
 that we are, 
we persevere and 
try to make up for
 what is now lacking.

We decorate 
the porch and garden,
 something we have always done...

 ...but have tried to make it
 a little more than the usual
this year...

...the flags and banners 
are hung and
as soon as dusk falls, 
the Grand Illumination 
is turned on...

...and the rocking chairs 
are in place
 for good viewing 
of our world 
(such as it is now).

The Cottage logo
 is placed just so...

...and an assortment 

of flora and fauna 

accompanies it all. 

The parade and
 the fireworks display 
have been cancelled 
as we know them 
but the city of Grass Valley
 has taken hold and 
is making it possible 

for us all to have
 a day and a night 
to remember...

...and now
 I will be able to have
 that Norman Rockwell moment 
that I thought 
I would never have.

 The Cottage
 is so excited 
as she has always thought 
she was being all dressed up 
but with no place to go.

 Now,
 for one day,
 she can become 
the grand old lady 
she was meant
 to be.

The small parade
 which consisted of 
Emergency Response and 

Public Work vehicles,

 with flags flying and sirens blaring,
 drove through
 all neighborhoods in

 Grass Valley and Nevada City...

... and along with
 a patriotic fly over,
 showing us 
that community 
is not forgotten and
 no matter how hard the times, 
we really are 
all in this 
together.

A fireworks display 
has been taken to 
a new venue 
so that most of the town 
can see it from their homes, 
a safe and welcoming 
place to celebrate.

 Alas,
 our home wasn't one of them.

  We sat in our driveway and 
the fireworks were exactly behind
 that little group of trees
 directly behind the telephone pole.
 You could barely 
catch a glimpse of them 
but we did hear the booms and 
see the glow.

 In my opinion,
 half of a
 Norman Rockwell experience 
is better than no
 Norman Rockwell experience 
at all.

So our "home town" 
is alive and well and 
we are so thankful 
to all the wonderful people
 that made 
it possible.

Small town living at its best.

This has been 
our "virtual" celebration 
for all. 

 Here's to hope 
for a better tomorrow and,
 take heart,
  don't give up the fight.



...Judy...

Happy Birthday America

Hope You All Had
 a Memorable Celebration


Stay smart, stay well and wear your masks.

It suddenly seems 
that it is 
the right thing to do 
since it might make
 you look like the Lone Ranger 
or, if for no other reason,
 it is good to hide
 a double chin, and
 here all along,
   common sense 
told us
  it might be 
to save a life!
Who knew?!!

 Of course
 that was yesterday and 
tomorrow is another day.


  Don't listen to what they say,
 just watch what they do.


Hi-Ho Silver 

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