Fourth of July Celebrations

One of my favorite places growing up was "up-nort" -- in particular the cottage home of my Uncle Peter and Aunt Mary in near Crivitz. As a child it was a place of wonders: a hand pump and "sun shower" since there was no running water, an amazing "no-flush" toilet (an outhouse), and in winter time a big Franklin stove. Summer weekends were spent at a lake-side beach swimming and fishing, and on the road sides picking the little strawberries that tasted much better than what is now sold in the supermarkets. In winter there were fewer trips, but usually something for New Years, and this was a great joy in hoping that there might be just enough snow that we would be stuck -- and of course that would mean having to miss school (darn).

Well time moves on and things change: in comes the running water and the central heat. Eventually Peter and Mary move there year round in their retirement -- meaning out with the cottage and in with the bigger house. But there is still a desire to return there -- it was a home for me in childhood.

I left for Rome on June 26, 2007. This of course meant that I missed the fireworks and festivities of two Fourth of July celebrations. Well this year -- I arrived home in time and did not start my parish assignment until after the festive weekend -- it was time to return to the "cottage" in the North woods. So I did. It was a sublime joy, and in someways a was a kid again (at age 25 none-the-less).