It’s almost Independence Day, so three guesses what’s on the player.

Van’s Almost Independence Day.

Earlier this evening I was sitting on the porch, enjoying the nighttime air, listening to the fireworks – because here, in monsoon country, it’s an overcast night, so not much in the way of lights to see. But the sound comes in good with all that low cloud cover. It was the fireworks that reminded me that tomorrow’s Independence Day is the first one my children and I will be celebrating as American citizens. We are Canadians in exile. We’ll always be Canadians (born on Canadian soil, no matter what your sins, you are always a Canadian). But we are Americans too.

And while it wasn’t listed on the citizenship test they give you as one of the three benefits of being a citizen, I’ve found the best thing about being an American is now I can complain as much as I want about what I think is wrong about this country. As a Canadian, I somehow felt it wasn’t my place; it’s not like I voted for these rascals. I’ll save that for another day, though; for tonight, almost Independence Day, I celebrate living in a free country, knowing that so many do not. Not for a second do I forget it and be thankful for the hand of cards I’ve been dealt.

This is what this blog is…a place to talk about the hand of cards I’m playing with. I want a place to write about what’s going on with me, what’s maybe going on in my head, what I’m thinking about, what, if anything, I’m up to. Maybe some travelogs, some photos or a gardening tip or two. We’ll just have to see.

For now, here are a few lines from Van Morrison’s Almost Independence Day

I can hear the fireworks
I can hear the fireworks
I can hear the fireworks
Up and down the, up and down the San Francisco bay
Up and down the, up and down the San Francisco bay
I can hear them echoing
I can hear, I can hear them echoing
Up and down the, up and down the San Francisco bay

If anyone’s wondering, no, it didn’t escape my attention that I barely got past the first sentence before I had to mention Van. Usually I wait until the second date.

Happy Independence Day, everyone!