{"id":10110,"date":"2016-07-04T11:57:41","date_gmt":"2016-07-04T15:57:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=10110"},"modified":"2016-07-04T19:30:13","modified_gmt":"2016-07-04T23:30:13","slug":"independence-day-montage-family-food-fireworks-and-the-american-flag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=10110","title":{"rendered":"Independence Day Montage &#8211; Family, Food, Fireworks, and the American Flag"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Blog-Fireworks-John-Williams.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10113\" src=\"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Blog-Fireworks-John-Williams.jpg\" alt=\"Blog - Fireworks - John Williams\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Blog-Fireworks-John-Williams.jpg 500w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Blog-Fireworks-John-Williams-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a>Photo Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=1419917295&amp;fref=ts\" target=\"_blank\">John Williams<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Last year, I wrote about July 4 <a href=\"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=3763\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Just want to wish you all a happy and safe celebration of our Independence Day, you Americans out there.<\/p>\n<p>On this rainy morning, we will still push through with preparations for a family cook-out later in the afternoon. <a href=\"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/2015-July-4-Family-Weekend-021.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10122\" src=\"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/2015-July-4-Family-Weekend-021.jpg\" alt=\"2015 July 4 Family Weekend 021\" width=\"1280\" height=\"942\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/2015-July-4-Family-Weekend-021.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/2015-July-4-Family-Weekend-021-300x221.jpg 300w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/2015-July-4-Family-Weekend-021-768x565.jpg 768w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/2015-July-4-Family-Weekend-021-1024x754.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/2013-July-4-2013-006.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10123\" src=\"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/2013-July-4-2013-006.jpg\" alt=\"2013 July 4 2013 006\" width=\"1280\" height=\"960\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/2013-July-4-2013-006.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/2013-July-4-2013-006-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/2013-July-4-2013-006-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/2013-July-4-2013-006-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.leegreenwood.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Lee Greenwood&#8217;s <\/a>renditions of &#8220;God Bless the USA&#8221; will be viewed on YouTube and sung at parades and baseball games around our country. [The one in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PvPgYLhOq24\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube below<\/a> shows Greenwood singing at the World Series at Yankee Stadium just weeks after the WTC bombings of 9\/11.]<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"2001 WS Gm4: Lee Greenwood sings &quot;God Bless the USA&quot;\" width=\"474\" height=\"267\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PvPgYLhOq24?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Patriotism is a costly thing. Freedom, even costlier. We, like many other nations around the world, have lost many of our young men and women in wars&#8230;fought for all sorts of reasons.<\/p>\n<p>Today, we will see our flag displayed more than any other time of the year. Hopefully, today, it won&#8217;t be at half-mast. So many losses in recent years that have kept us from flying her at full-mast.<a href=\"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Blog-4th-of-July-American-Flag-Jason-Miller.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10148\" src=\"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Blog-4th-of-July-American-Flag-Jason-Miller.jpg\" alt=\"Blog - 4th of July - American Flag - Jason Miller\" width=\"841\" height=\"841\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Blog-4th-of-July-American-Flag-Jason-Miller.jpg 841w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Blog-4th-of-July-American-Flag-Jason-Miller-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Blog-4th-of-July-American-Flag-Jason-Miller-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Blog-4th-of-July-American-Flag-Jason-Miller-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 841px) 100vw, 841px\" \/><\/a>Photo Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=266160333750796&amp;set=a.103448376688660.1073741826.100010704932663&amp;type=3&amp;theater\" target=\"_blank\">Jason Miller<\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"SOUSA The Stars and Stripes Forever - &quot;The President&#039;s Own&quot; U.S. Marine Band\" width=\"474\" height=\"267\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/a-7XWhyvIpE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Whatever our politics or our passports, today is a day to be grateful for all the sacrifices that went into making this nation&#8230;and hopefully we will strive to protect the freedoms fought for by so many others. My hope also is that we can still strive to be a nation that does good, not just inside its own borders but around the world.<\/p>\n<p>As I think of our family and friends all over, both here and abroad, may we not forget what is at stake&#8230;on this day, and every day.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For today, we who can spend the 4th together, will count both our blessings that we richly enjoy and the costs incurred that make such a day possible. We look ahead to what we bring to making this nation what it can be still.<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Let freedom ring and God bless this country we lift up to Him. To God be the glory!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=3763\" target=\"_blank\">DebMillsWriter &#8211; Independence Day in the USA &#8211; Celebrating the 4th of July and Remembering that Freedom is Not Free<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.strategicmonk.com\/2016\/07\/02\/celebrating-who-we-are-becoming\/?platform=hootsuite\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Celebrating Who We Are Becoming<\/em> &#8211; Strategic Monk &#8211; Greg Richardson<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VN-cxU95C1A&amp;index=4&amp;list=PLRmh6Gii2y3NGgNHnv7i7DtF9Aq2GFkge\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube Video &#8211; Top 10 American Independence Day Facts<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=a-7XWhyvIpE\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube Video &#8211; Soussa&#8217;s <em>The Stars and Stripes Forever<\/em> &#8211; &#8220;The President&#8217;s Own&#8221; Marine Corp Band<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vPKp29Luryc\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube Video &#8211; <em>The Star-Spangled Banner<\/em> &#8211; lyrics, vocals &amp; beautiful pictures<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Blog-4th-of-July-Cairo-and-Braves-Baseball.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10151\" src=\"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Blog-4th-of-July-Cairo-and-Braves-Baseball.jpg\" alt=\"Blog - 4th of July - Cairo and Braves Baseball\" width=\"2688\" height=\"1520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Blog-4th-of-July-Cairo-and-Braves-Baseball.jpg 2688w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Blog-4th-of-July-Cairo-and-Braves-Baseball-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Blog-4th-of-July-Cairo-and-Braves-Baseball-768x434.jpg 768w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Blog-4th-of-July-Cairo-and-Braves-Baseball-1024x579.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2688px) 100vw, 2688px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Photo Credit: John Williams Last year, I wrote about July 4 here. Just want to wish you all a happy and safe celebration of our Independence Day, you Americans out there. On this rainy morning, we will still push through with preparations for a family cook-out later in the afternoon. Lee Greenwood&#8217;s renditions of &#8220;God &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=10110\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Independence Day Montage &#8211; Family, Food, Fireworks, and the American Flag<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3396,249,825,33,888],"tags":[3397,1544,3400,2606,7,1549,704,1832,2222,1539,3399,3410,3411,3413,3412,3414,3398],"class_list":["post-10110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-america","category-food-drink","category-holidays","category-inspired","category-memories","tag-4th-of-july","tag-america","tag-american-flag","tag-celebration","tag-family","tag-fireworks","tag-food","tag-freedom","tag-greg-richardson","tag-independence-day","tag-lee-greenwood","tag-patriotism","tag-soussa","tag-star-spangled-banner","tag-stars-and-stripes-forever","tag-strategic-monk","tag-united-states-of-america"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pauPAB-2D4","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10110"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10110\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10162,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10110\/revisions\/10162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}