Hi there! (Waving madly.) Happy Independence Day everybody! I took a little break there, didn't I? Today I'm celebrating my liberation from the trials that are known as...SUMMER CAMP. There, I've said it. I've been a camp counselor this week. If you know me at all, you'll know how much of a reach that particular task has been for me. Little kids and I...let's just say that we're not such a good match. I kind of still can't believe I'm doing it, but Callum's teacher is the director of the camp and she promised me all sorts of things like IPODS and FLAT SCREEN TVS. No really, she's done so much not just for my son, but for me as well that I'd do just about anything for her. Including hang out with a bunch of four year olds. Such a sight is so improbable that we even had one of our preschool teachers stop in the classroom where I was working and beam at me disbelievingly. And it went pretty well (It's just so tiring to spend so much time doing something that feels so awkward, and well, tiring.) right up until yesterday afternoon when some little punk called me a "jerk," and I thought, "That's it, time for the weekend."

We never tend to make big plans for the Fourth, no flag themed cupcakes or bottle rockets. We'll probably just head over to the beach tonight for some fireworks. I may have said it before, but my friend Marianne introduced us to this tradition, and it's absolutely my favorite way to spend this holiday. We may hook up with some friends, and maybe not. I'm trying really hard to release some things and part of that is not to be so militant in my need to have things planned...every minute. As much as standing in a room of hollering four year olds, that is an awkward and not so comfortable thing for me. Can I celebrate independence from the restless wanderings of my own brain? Not sure yet.

But I'm glad it's a Friday and that we have the weekend stretching before us. I hope it's a mix of time with family and time with friends (I have several people in my life who I haven't really seen and just hung out with in entirely too long.). We'll work in the yard and watch some tennis and play some tennis knit some and maybe sew some and maybe, maybe finally start painting the dining r room. Probably, at some point we'll eat some food.

Oh, and I want a flag. Why do I always decide stuff like that on July 3rd? We're not real flag wavers in my family, although I agree with Neel that the American flag is one of the prettiest around, and I'd never dreamed I'd ever want to hang one of my own. But I do like the idea of hanging our flag on our most significantly patriotic of holidays. Do you think I could get one of these delivered today?

Have a great weekend everybody.