How To Dress For a Summer BBQ

School House Rock – Shot Heard ‘Round the World

102 Things To Do This Summer

As much as your kids will tell you they can’t wait for summer, the words “I’m bored,” inevitably cross their lips – sometimes sooner than you think! While children do enjoy the freedom that comes with the summer months, they still like to have a little structure to their fun. The following list of activities will help your family take full advantage of summer and help spark your creativity to make the summer all that it should be!  Kids can choose any activity they are interested in and complete them in any order they like (your children will probably enjoy checking them off as they complete them). Some items require parental permission (such as adopting a pet) but others are suitable for kids to complete on their own. Some can even be done with the entire family!

Take a moment to review the list, visit the websites, and see which activities best suit your family. With these 101 things to do, you may just escape the “I’m bored” doldrums this summer!

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Top 5 Myths About the Fourth of July!

#1 Independence Was Declared on the Fourth of July.

America’s independence was actually declared by the Continental Congress on July 2, 1776. The night of the second the Pennsylvania Evening Post published the statement:”This day the Continental Congress declared the United Colonies Free and Independent States.”

So what happened on the Glorious Fourth? The document justifying the act of Congress-you know it as Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence-was adopted on the fourth, as is indicated on the document itself, which is, one supposes, the cause for all the confusion. As one scholar has observed, what has happened is that the document announcing the event has overshadowed the event itself.

When did Americans first celebrate independence? Congress waited until July 8, when Philadelphia threw a big party, including a parade and the firing of guns. The army under George Washington, then camped near New York City, heard the new July 9 and celebrated then. Georgia got the word August 10. And when did the British in London finally get wind of the declaration? August 30.

John Adams, writing a letter home to his beloved wife Abigail the day after independence was declared (i.e. July 3), predicted that from then on”the Second of July, 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.” A scholar coming across this document in the nineteenth century quietly” corrected” the document, Adams predicting the festival would take place not on the second but the fourth.

#2 The Declaration of Independence was signed July 4.

Hanging in the grand Rotunda of the Capitol of the United States is a vast canvas painting by John Trumbull depicting the signing of the Declaration. Both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams wrote, years afterward, that the signing ceremony took place on July 4. When someone challenged Jefferson’s memory in the early 1800′s Jefferson insisted he was right. The truth? As David McCullough remarks in his new biography of Adams,”No such scene, with all the delegates present, ever occurred at Philadelphia.”

So when was it signed? Most delegates signed the document on August 2, when a clean copy was finally produced by Timothy Matlack, assistant to the secretary of Congress. Several did not sign until later. And their names were not released to the public until later still, January 1777. The event was so uninspiring that nobody apparently bothered to write home about it. Years later Jefferson claimed to remember the event clearly, regaling visitors with tales of the flies circling overhead. But as he was wrong about the date, so perhaps he was wrong even about the flies.

The truth about the signing was not finally established until 1884 when historian Mellon Chamberlain, researching the manuscript minutes of the journal of Congress, came upon the entry for August 2 noting a signing ceremony.

As for Benjamin Franklin’s statement, which has inspired patriots for generations,”We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall hang separately” … well, there’s no proof he ever made it.

#3 The Liberty Bell Rang in American Independence.

Well of course you know now that this event did not happen on the fourth. But did it happen at all? It’s a famous scene. A young boy with bond hair and blue eyes was supposed to have been posted in the street next to Independence Hall to give a signal to an old man in the bell tower when independence was declared. It never happened. The story was made up out of whole cloth in the middle of the nineteenth century by writer George Lippard in a book intended for children. The book was aptly titled, Legends of the American Revolution. There was no pretense that the story was genuine.

If the Liberty Bell rang at all in celebration of independence nobody took note at the time. The bell was not even named in honor of American independence. It received the moniker in the early nineteenth century when abolitionists used it as a symbol of the antislavery movement.

If you visit the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, encased in a multi-million dollar shrine (soon to be replaced by an even grander building), a tape recording made by the National Park Service leaves the impression that the bell indeed played a role in American independence. (We last heard the recording three years ago. We assume it’s still being played.) The guides are more forthcoming, though they do not expressly repudiate the old tradition unless directly asked a question about it. On the day we visited the guide sounded a bit defensive, telling our little group it didn’t really matter if the bell rang in American independence or not. Millions have come to visit, she noted, allowing the bell to symbolize liberty for many different causes. In other words, it is our presence at the bell that gives the shrine its meaning. It is important because we think it’s important. It’s the National Park Service’s version of existentialism.

As for the famous crack … it was a badly designed bell and it cracked. End of story.

#4 Betsy Ross Sewed the First Flag.

A few blocks away from the Liberty Bell is the Betsy Ross House. There is no proof Betsy lived here, as the Joint State Government Commission of Pennsylvania concluded in a study in 1949. Oh well. Every year the throngs still come to gawk. As you make your way to the second floor through a dark stairwell the feeling of verisimilitude is overwhelming. History is everywhere. And then you come upon the famous scene. Behind a wall of Plexiglas, as if to protect the sacred from contamination, a Betsy Ross manikin sits in a chair carefully sewing the first flag. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is where Betsy sewed that first famous symbol of our freedom, the bars and stripes, Old Glory itself.

Alas, the story is no more authentic than the house itself. It was made up in the nineteenth century by Betsy’s descendants.

The guide for our group never let on that the story was bogus, however. Indeed, she provided so many details that we became convinced she really believed it. She told us how General George Washington himself asked Betsy to stitch the first flag. He wanted six point stars; Betsy told him that five point stars were easier to cut and stitch. The general relented.

After the tour was over we approached the guide for an interview. She promptly removed her Betsy Ross hat, turned to us and admitted the story is all just a lot of phooey. Oh, but it is a good story, she insisted, and one worth telling.

Poor Betsy. In her day she was just a simple unheralded seamstress. Now the celebrators won’t leave her alone. A few years ago they even dug up her bones where they had lain in a colonial graveyard for 150 years, so she could be buried again beneath a huge sarcophagus located on the grounds of the house she was never fortunate enough to have lived in.

So who sewed the first flag? No one knows. But we do know who designed it. It was Frances Hopkinson. Records show that in May 1780 he sent a bill to the Board of Admiralty for designing the”flag of the United States.” A small group of descendants works hard to keep his name alive. Just down the street from Betsy’s house one of these descendants, the caretaker for the local cemetery where Benjamin Franklin is buried, entertains school children with stories about Hopkinson, a signer of the Declaration, who is also credited with designing the seal of the United States. We asked him what he made of the fantasies spun at the Betsy Ross house. He confided he did not want to make any disparaging remarks as he was a paid employee of the city of Philadelphia, which now owns the house.

The city seems to be of the opinion that the truth doesn’t matter. Down the street from the cemetery is a small plaque posted on a brick building giving Hopkinson the credit he rightly deserves.

As long as the tourists come.

#5 John Adams and Thomas Jefferson Died on the Fourth of July.

Ok, this is true. On July 4, 1826, Adams and Jefferson both died, exactly fifty years after the adoption of Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, which the country took as a sign of American divinity. But there is no proof that Adams, dying, uttered,”Jefferson survives,” which was said to be especially poignant, as Jefferson had died just hours before. Mark that up as just another hoary story we wished so hard were true we convinced ourselves it is.

Hope you had a Happy Fourth!

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Bowling as Art

It’s been raining in Southern California for the past few weeks. Unfortunately, my garage flooded and I lost some items I won’t be able to replace but I am thankful for what I have.

On this rainy day, I thought it would be a good idea to go bowling and have some fun. I haven’t been bowling for years and I figured it would be a nice place to be since it’s a place where people are always smiling. There’s no crying in bowling, I suppose. Even if you bowl a gutter ball, it’s no big deal and the more you can laugh at yourself, the more fun you will have. Because really, the sport is silly and there is no way you can be serious playing. Don’t get me wrong, there are some serious players out there but on this night, it was all for fun.

I scored over 100 which was a personal record for me, I think.

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Flashback: Bowling For Dollars

Father’s Day Shirt and Tie

“Dad will love this twist (and tie) on an old favorite. You and the kids can surprise him with this cute design on a full pan of the classic recipe.”

Directions:

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add KELLOGG’S® RICE KRISPIES® cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Using canned frosting pipe tie and shirt collar on top. To serve cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.

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Wedding Guests: Top 8 Etiquette Q&A

You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers. Want to be a wedding etiquette whiz?
Read on.

Q. I’ve been invited to a friend’s wedding, but I don’t want to go alone. Is it okay to bring a date?

A. Check your invitation envelope. Does it just say your name or does it say your name “plus guest”? If yours is the only name on the envelope, then you’re the only one who’s been officially invited. Resist the urge to ask the couple if you can bring a guest anyway. Instead, figure out who else might be attending the wedding solo and plan your transportation (and accommodations) with them, if possible. If it’s still too uncomfortable to attend alone, then you can politely decline the invitation.

Q: How do I find out where the couple is registered? It doesn’t say on the invite.

A: It shouldn’t. If the couple included their registry info on the invitation it would seem as if they were asking for gifts — and technically wedding gifts are not mandatory. Check to see if the couple has listed their website on the invite. If so, chances are they’ve indicated where they’re registered somewhere on that. If so, their registry information is probably on their site. If not, start asking around – try members of the couple’s wedding party, the couple’s family, and if all else fails, the couple themselves.

Q. My husband and I were recently invited to a 3 p.m. wedding ceremony followed by a 6 p.m. black-tie reception. Does this mean that he should wear a suit for the ceremony and then change into a tux for the reception? And does that mean that I have to change into a different dress?

A. Breathe a sigh of relief, because one outfit will be fine for each of you! Though the old school etiquette rules say that you must wait until evening to break out the black tie attire, these days, going formal during daylight hours is acceptable (only tails are now considered improper for a daytime ceremony). You should both don your best duds for the ceremony and the reception, no changing required.

Q: I’ve heard that you have up to a year after the wedding to buy a gift. Is that true?

A: Technically, yes — But chances are if you don’t send something within two months of the wedding date, you’ll forget (and the couple may think you’ve forgotten) — so try to get it out as soon as possible. The date the couple gets back from their honeymoon is a doable goal.

Q. I recently received an invitation to a wedding reception but not the ceremony. Apparently the church is very small. Is this acceptable?

A. More and more couples are opting to have intimate family ceremonies with a small guest list and then hosting larger receptions that include all their relatives and friends. You may feel like you’re missing out on the most important part by just going to the reception, but at least you’ll be there to raise your glass to the bride and groom. It is acceptable to only extend an invite to the reception. But it is never acceptable to only extend an invitation to the ceremony if you’re also having a reception.

Q: What if there’s no RSVP-by date on the invite? How long do I have?

A: Many invitations will specify the date by which you should respond. If you’ve received an invite without one, your best bet is to respond ASAP. Don’t leave it on the coffee table where it might get lost amid the magazines. Instead, check your calendar, mark your reply immediately, and slip it in your bag to send out the next time you pass a mailbox. If you’ve put off replying for a few days or weeks because you’re not sure of your schedule (or just forgot about it), make sure you send your RSVP at least 3 weeks before the date of the event.

Q: I’d love to avoid shipping costs on the gift I’ve bought the couple and, instead of sending it, just bring it directly to the reception. Is this ok?

A: It’s not necessarily bad form to bring your gift to the wedding, but it’s not the most thoughtful way to present a gift to the couple, either. Someone has to lug all the gifts back home after the reception is over, and there’s a slim chance your gift might get lost in the scramble. If you really want to bring something the day of, opt for a card with a check or gift card.

Q: If the invite is addressed to “The Keller Family” does that mean that all of us, including the kids, are invited?

A: If the invitation is addressed to the entire family, then you can take it to mean just that: All members of your immediate family including your spouse and children are invited to the wedding.

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June Gardening Tips

   • Heavy rains encourage slug problems. Check for
     slugs during rainy periods and hand pick the
     pests.

   • For hanging baskets in cool, shady locations, use
     tuberous begonias, ferns, impatiens or fibrous
     rooted begonias in combination with trailing
     plants,such as English ivy.

   • Remove old flower heads from annual bedding
     plants to keep them blooming.

   • Disbud chrysanthemum flowers to secure large,
     beautiful blooms on straight, strong stems. To
     disbud, remove the small side buds along the
     stems which form in the angles of the leaves. This
     will allow all of the food reserves to be used for
     one large flower rather than many smaller ones.

   • Plant annual flowers in tubs or large containers for
     the porch or terrace. Make sure there are holes in the
     container’s bottom to provide good drainage.

   • Remove foliage from spring bulbs after it turns yellow and begins to dry. Set out bedding plants to cover the bare
     spots using care not to damage the bulbs.

   • Watch for and control blackspot and powdery mildew on rose foliage.

   • Use bark mulch around young trees to protect them from lawn mower damage.

   • Spring flowering shrubs such as spirea, viburnum, lilac and forsythia should be pruned as soon as they are done
     blooming.

   • Mid to late June is an excellent time to take softwood cuttings of shrubs to start new plants. Some shrubs which can
     be propagated in this way are spirea, lilac and viburnum.

   • When you buy nursery stock that is container grown, check the root ball and make sure it is not bound too tightly. A
     mass of circling roots will stay that way even after it is planted in the ground.

   • If you do not have much room to landscape, consider using some of the many dwarf varieties available. These are
     plants that have slow growth and stay small, so there is little pruning maintenance. There are numerous dwarf
     evergreens, flowering trees and shrubs from which to choose.

   • After your vegetable garden is well established, it is best to water it thoroughly once a week rather than giving it a
     light watering everyday. That way, a deeper root system is encouraged to develop, which will later help the plants
     tolerate dry weather.

   • Keep a close eye on the quality of your spring crops. Hot weather causes lettuce to bolt and become bitter. Plant a
     warm season crop as soon as the spring vegetables are harvested.

   • In most cases, blossom-end rot on tomatoes, peppers, squash and watermelons can be prevented. Do this by
     maintaining uniform soil moisture by mulching and watering correctly, planting in well drained soil and not
     cultivating deeper than one inch within one foot of the plant. Also avoid the use of high nitrogen fertilizers.

   • Continue planting warm season vegetable crops such as beans, squash and cucumbers.

   • The best time to harvest most herbs is just before flowering, when the leaves contain the maximum essential oils.

   • Before pouring gasoline into the fuel tank of your lawn mower, garden tiller or other garden equipment, be sure to
     turn off the engine and allow it to cool for at least five minutes.

   • Identify garden pests before you attempt to control them. If you decide to use chemical control, read the label
     carefully.

   • Bats can be an effective way to control insects. One big brown bat can eat 3,000 to 7,000 insects each night. Attract
     bats by building and placing bat houses in your yard.

   • Leftover vegetable and flower seeds may be stored in a cool dry location to be saved for planting next year.

   • Start a gardening notebook. Pay special attention to those plants which withstand drought conditions.

   • During the hot summer months, mulch can be especially useful for conserving water. For vegetable gardens, shredded
     leaves or grass clippings are good mulch material. For ornamentals, pine needles or wood bark do the best job.

   • Weed removal is important for a number of reasons. It conserves moisture, conserves nutrients in the soil and helps
     prevent the spread of disease and insects.

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12 Rainy Day Activities

Don’t let a little precipitation keep your kids parked on the couch all day: Try one of these rainy day activities, games, or outings that encourage physical fitness (and keep the “I’m bored” complaints to a minimum too).

1. Go Bowling!

PINZ is a lot different than the bowling alley you remember. We’ve polished up the entire gaming experience with a contemporary design, a laser tag arena, an arcade, event space, and a pub style restaurant and bar.

At PINZ you can laugh at a gutter ball, throw one of your own, or just sit back and have a blast! Experience bowling at the next level!

2. Let’s put on a show!

Challenge a group of kids to stage a play or talent show. Give them a theme or opening lines to get them started, if they need a little jump start (how about “Once upon a time, in the kingdom of Rainy Days, a princess was born with webbed duck feet … “).

3. Bring outdoor games in for a surprising switch on rainy day activities.

Play basketball with a soft foam or sponge ball, or just wad up some newspaper; the hoop can be any basket or receptacle (either hung on the wall or resting on the floor). Have kids shoot from different parts of the room or in different ways, in an indoor version of HORSE.

4. Take a fit field trip.

Hit an indoor pool (if you don’t have a gym or community center membership, check hotels—they sometimes sell day passes), ice or roller rink, climbing wall, bowling alley, or inflatables play space to blow off steam.

5. Make a sand-free sandbox for lots of rainy day activities.

Use a large plastic bin, dishpan, or aluminum-foil roasting pan as your box. Fill with rice or oatmeal and stock with scoops, funnels, spoons, toy cars, a plastic tea set—whatever suits your child’s interests.

6. Teach your dog some new tricks.

These charming, kid-friendly dog-training suggestions keep both pets and children busy on boring rainy days.

7. Let’s go to the videotape!

Have any fitness videos? Break them out and do them together. If you’re bored with your selection, see what’s offered on cable—I love ExerciseTV—or hit the library or video store. Or challenge your kids to choreograph their own routines, then film them with your video camera!

8. Get wet anyway!

Suit up with boots, raincoats, and warm socks and get outside—you won’t melt. Splash in the puddles. Belt out “Singin’ in the Rain” while you twirl your umbrella. Do your best impressions of ducks, frogs, and fish. When you come inside, swap chilly rain gear for a warm bath or a cup of soup.

9.
Set up a rainy-day construction site.

Break out the couch cushions, old blankets, hula hoops, and cardboard boxes and have the kids build a fort or an obstacle course. We also like Toobeez Super Fort (compare prices), a set of foam rods, nylon sheets, and clamps to hold them all together. We’ve used ours to make a clubhouse, airplane, tractor-trailer, and more.

10. Up, up, and away!

Blow up some balloons and play keep-away or “volleyball.” Or use paper fans to play a version of table tennis: Use your fan to create gusts of air to blow your balloon across the table towards an opponent—get it past her to score a point. (Remember, the scraps from popped balloons are a choking hazard, so take precautions if you have small children.)

11. Get crafty.

Painting a large mural or pounding clay works your child’s muscles too. Spread out a big sheet of paper (in the garage or basement if you can!) and try different ways to paint, from spattering to footprints to rolling old balls in paint and then on paper. Messy? Yes! But good for lots of laughs too.

12. Get your game on.

Stock your toy shelf with indoor games and toys that encourage kids to move, from classics like Twister to new hits like the Nintendo Wii.

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