Of Thee I Sing

Linda Burton posting from Olympia, Washington – “My country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrims’ pride, from every mountain side, let freedom ring” (Samuel Francis Smith, author, 1831). It may be Francis Scott Key’s Star Spangled Banner that gets us standing and saluting at baseball games, but nobody can deny that Samuel Francis Smith’s America is a more user-friendly tune. Who can hit that ultra-high Anthem note right there at the end? It has challenged (and embarrassed) a number of high-voltage music stars, and puzzled many a kid who hasn’t studied US history yet. Bombs bursting in air? Does that mean fireworks Dad? It’s the 4^th of July today; a federally recognized holiday; and many celebrations do include fireworks – Washington DC with the national capitol in the background; the Navy Pier on Lake Michigan in Chicago; Macy’s in New York; San Diego, Seattle, Tampa; big city blasts and small town set offs; or maybe just a back yard barbecue with a few illegal poppers to make noise and sparklers for the kids to wave around. Maybe the family has started vacation already, celebrating in a National Park; fanfare and awesomeness. It was quiet today in Olympia, and I went exploring to get pictures of the American flag. » read more