Gulf Coast Family

by Joy and Jerry Lancaster

Last summer I, "Grammy" Lancaster, had the opportunity to spend the Fourth of July weekend with our daughter Keri and her family in Bethany, Missouri. Bethany is a small town in Northern Missouri, and in some ways, it has not really "caught up" with the rest of us who are enduring the hustle and bustle of big city life.

The Fourth of July festivities began with a parade through the main streets of the town, including riders on horseback, the mayor and other city officials in antique cars, kids on decorated bicycles, the local high school band who acted as an honor guard, and several tractors, police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances that made up the end of the parade. I don't know if my grandchildren were more excited about seeing their daddy, who is a paramedic, driving one of the ambulances or about catching all the candy that the participants threw to the spectators! What fun!

Along with the parade, it seemed that most of the citizens of Bethany had fired up their grills and the smell of roast corn, steaks and hotdogs totally permeated the air! In all my years, I don't remember being a part of such a celebration so simple, yet so American.

The other event that happens at this time of year in Bethany is the opening of the county fair. As soon as we had partaken of the bounty of food at the parade, we headed over to the fair—where there was even more food, including funnel cakes, chocolate dipped bananas, and cotton candy —YUM! Once again, I felt like I had gone back in time. It felt just like the fair in the book, Charlotte's Web.

The children had a blast on the midway rides. And then I had the pleasure of watching my granddaughter Julie take part in something that may be foreign to you as it was to me – Mutton Busting! She climbed into a chute, much like in a rodeo, climbed on the back of a sheep, held on for dear life to its wool as it ran out into the arena—and stayed on for 30 seconds—the allotted time needed to qualify!

So what are you doing for the Fourth of July? Whether you barbecue all afternoon, light sparklers with the kids, sing patriotic songs off-key, or take in a parade and fireworks we hope you have a wonderful Independence Day celebration with your family.