Eating: Macademia nuts, a treat I haven't indulged in for a long time. When I saw the price for just a tiny container, I remembered why I haven't bought them in years. I'm trying to make this small jar last for awhile, so I'm only eating a few at a time.

Listening: The soundtrack to 1776 to get into the proper Independence Day spirit.

Fireworks

One nice thing about having the Fourth of July holiday on a Sunday is that this year the festivities have been spread out over a period of several days. Had the weather cooperated and had we been so inclined, we could have gone to fireworks displays every night from Thursday through Sunday.

We opted for the fireworks at Lawrence Township, originally scheduled for Friday night but postponed until this evening because of Friday's rain. Stephanie decided to come along with us, even though she is not fond of fireworks, especially the noisy ones.

For the past seven or eight years the event has been held at the Rider University campus. We found out the hard way the first year we went that getting out of the Rider parking lot is a logistical nightmare. Fortunately, a friend of Tab's who happens to live across the street from Rider offered us the use of his driveway, and we've been parking there for every fireworks display for the past five years.

We entered campus through a little-used side entrance. With no cars about, we walked in the middle of the road, passing in and out of the shadows cast by the campus street lights. I thought once again that there is something magical about night walking. Even the most mundane scenes acquire a mysterious aura at night. We strolled along at an easy pace so as not to tire out Stephanie unduly; occasionally, others passed us on their way to the fireworks, carrying blankets or folding chairs to sit on.

We soon found a place in the field on which to spread our blanket. Tab and Daniel went off in search of light sticks: flexible 22-inch long plastic tubes containing a luminescent chemical that is activated when the stick is bent and shaken. One end can be attached to the other to form a necklace. I think the kids were almost more excited about getting light sticks than they were about seeing the fireworks.

We didn't have to wait long for the show to start. I remember being disappointed with the fireworks last year, but this year they were lovely. The boys provided a running commentary to each display.

"There's green, my favorite color!" Daniel exclaimed at every green burst.

"Red and purple!" called Stephen.

"There's one that looks like a weeping willow," said Daniel as gold sparks arced away in a branch-like pattern.

"A palm tree!"

"A dandelion!"

There was one new style of fireworks that we had never seen before: an almost continual display of shimmering, glittering, golden bursts that lasted nearly a minute at a time. I wish I could describe how beautiful it was.

The show lasted nearly a half hour. We got home well after 10 o'clock and the boys were tired and cranky. They reluctantly surrendered their light sticks to Tab, and he put them in the freezer to preserve them for tomorrow night.

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