A Simple 4th

Why were women from previous generations less stressed and more able to afford...

I'm going to stop you right there.

 Gather round... Welcome to one of my soap boxes.

There are multiple layers to the mystery of how our mothers and grandmothers had it "easier" than we do. But one element of it just may be that the Hobby Lobby culture didn't exist.

Or maybe I should call it the Hobby Lobby pressure. You know, the pressure for every birthday, every holiday, every season to be over the top and "extra," as the kids say.

I shouldn't blame HL.

It's just easy to see it there.

I stopped in the other day to pick up paper plates and napkins for our 4th of July gathering, and... well, you've seen it, too. Multiple aisles of holiday themed, Made in China junk that nobody needs to have a good time. 

Glance around the mall... 

Bath and Body Works: 4th of July hand soaps, Old Navy: American flag T-shirts, Every other store: gaudy USA earrings and headbands, holiday towels... etc, etc...

Meanwhile, somewhere in our memories are holiday gatherings that looked like this:

This is not my family and not my photo. I found it on the Internet. But I love the vibe! Simple, homey, and uncontrived, this gathering was all about food and fellowship. 

Inspired, I showed this picture to Micah, and he and the boys put together a long makeshift table from saw horses and slabs of plywood from the workshop.

As I was pulling white bed sheets from the linen closet to use as coverings, Nola asked why I wouldn't buy proper tablecloths.

"Because this is free. It's also good enough!" I answered her.

The girls gathered wildflowers from the woods behind our house, and I placed them in old mason jars that I've had in my kitchen cupboard for years. 

I love all the beautiful, patriotic flower arrangements for sale in my grocery store right now, but I guess I was just in the mood to keep things "down home" and simple.

Sometimes the commercialized world seems fun, and I do admit I partake from time to time. But it's not needed to have a nice holiday. 

So, we are keeping things simple for our gathering tonight. 

Guests will bring their own lawn chairs to add to our table, and Micah will fire up the grill for the steaks he's been marinading since Thursday night. S'mores will be enjoyed alongside good conversation, and I'm sure children will be running barefoot in the grass. 

Yes, simple is the vision... until dark. Then we get to see just how many fireworks Micah purchased for America's 250th birthday. A milestone he claimed deserved a large-scale display. Oh well... so much for my vision.

I'll step off my soap box now...

~ Courtney