Ready to celebrate another one?
It appears that we are headed for another spectacular Fourth of July. Hope you all have your floats ready to go. Hope you have helped your kids decorate their bikes, their wagons, and their pets. Get film for the camera, your kids will be cute and you don't want the moment to go unrecorded.
There will be reunion groups (gosh, are they THAT old?) and horses and vintage cars. The theme for the parade is "God Bless the USA" and you should be in it. I have it on good authority that there are even cash prizes for parade entries. Knock yourselves out — there is still time to be a part of it!
Get out your flags and fly them all day. When our girls were in college they always had friends come to Peabody for the Fourth celebration (and some still show up after all these years.) One year the number of flags astounded a friend of daughter number one. The girl drove the streets of Peabody and counted them. As I recall the number was around 200. She thought that was pretty amazing. I am betting that the number is several times higher now. (If you count them, let me know and I will print your total next week.)
I noticed a new event on the list of stuff to do at the park on Friday. It is called the "Toilet Flush" and it is sponsored by next year's senior class. Class president Rachel Unruh was at the city council meeting Monday night asking for volunteers to be "flushed." Guess who signed up? The mayor! Don't like your water bill? Want the U-turn back in front of the Santa Fe tracks? Here is your chance to let "hizzoner" know. He will be on the hot seat (so to speak) at 2:15 Friday for a 15 minute flushing session. Go spend a few bucks for a good group of kids and express yourself.
(And while I'm at it, thanks Mr. Mayor for being a good sport.)
This is an unabashed commercial — one of those things I get to do in this spot. If you buy fireworks be sure to go to the yellow and white striped tent across from the water tower. That one is being run by the Peabody Historical Society. Whatever money they make will stay in Peabody. They will use the funds to pay for local projects and events that many of us enjoy. The money will ease the utility bill crunch at the museum complex. It will help them promote themselves and bring more visitors to Peabody. When you spend your money with them you are spending it to help yourself. A good deal all around. That's the yellow and white tent
We plan to have a float, buy historical society fireworks, hang flags, remember friends from past gatherings, and watch it all. We even have a schedule. Float decorating at this hour, beer-belly basketball at that hour (gravity has taken its toll on those former college boys), and the grazing table goes up mid-afternoon to stave off starvation. There will be lots of pickin' and singin,' an excessive amount of food, and remember-when stories of other celebrations.
The mister and I will baby sit the dogs during the fireworks and watch the aerials from the yard, but we bought advance buttons anyway. They were a bargain!
Be sure to thank the Fourth Fest Society for making the celebration what it is. Enjoy!
— SUSAN MARSHALL
