The highlight of the summer was the Fourth Of July.  All my relatives would gather at my Aunt and Uncle’s house in Grand Ledge, Michigan.  We always had a back yard picnic with a feast comparable to Thanksgiving or Christmas.  There was Potato Salad and Scalloped Potatoes, Macaroni and Cheese, Ham, Lettuce Salads, Cole Slaw, Jello, all kinds of cakes and pies.  Is your mouth watering yet?  Mine always did.  To top it all off, my uncles always made home made ice cream.  Yum!

   While everything was being prepared, we cousins would play games in the back yard.  One game in particular was called eenie iine over.  It was played with a ball which we tossed back and forth over my uncle’s garage.  We would divide into two teams and as we tossed the ball over one team would call out, “eenie iine over”.  If the other team caught the ball, they would sneak around to the other side and try to catch members of the opposing team.  If caught we had to join, if not then we were safe.  If per chance the ball did not make it over the garage, the team tossing the ball would yell out, “pigtails”.  Don’t ask me why the game was called that or why we shouted “pigtails”, I do not know, I just know the game was lots of fun.

   Sometimes we would take a break from the game and sneak over to where our uncles were making the ice cream.  We would reach into the bag of ice and stick some of the ice down their shirts.  We would run away laughing, but if we were not quick enough, we were grabbed by one of the uncles and ice was put down our shirt.  Of course, none of us minded.  What better way to cool down then ice down your back on a hot fourth of July summer day.

   As much fun as I had throughout the day, I could hardly wait for the night to get here.  It was then that the cousins would play with sparklers.  Then came the whole made ice cream and the fire works.  My aunt and uncle did not live that far from town and we could see the beautiful fire work display from their house.  What a wonderful way to end a lovely, glorious summer day.  I will remember those great lazy, hazy, crazy days of the summers of my childhood with much fondness.  The innocence of those days were by far the best days of my young life.

   Sadly, the house where my aunt and uncle lived was torn down and replaced by a McDonalds.  That was a sad day for me.  I always felt bad when summer came to an end because that meant the start of another school year.  There were still lots of fun times with my friends, but I eagerly awaited for the following summer with heartfelt anticipation.  My summers always rocked my world and filled it with much happiness.  That summer magic had an overpowering effect on my growing up years and they will live on in my memory forever.

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