Giveaway, Vickie Fee

Ice Cream — and Fireworks, too?

HAPPY FOURTH FROM ALL THE CHICKS! To celebrate, I’ll be giving away a signed copy of ONE FETE IN THE GRAVE, set around July 4th, to one lucky commenter. Hey, I’ll even throw in a Chicks on the Case pin! 

The Fourth of July – hamburgers and hot dogs are on the grill, ice cream is on the cone, and ripe tomatoes are on the vine. It’s also one of the few holidays when children are allowed to play with fireworks. (Whether or not that’s a good idea is a discussion we’ll save for another day.)

Clock Tower fireworks
A photo my husband took of the Marquette, Michigan fireworks show on the Fourth of July a couple of years ago.
ice-cream-sundae
source: pixabay

As a kid, the Fourth often found us getting together with family and friends. I remember going to my Uncle Virgil and Aunt Doris’s farm in Tennessee for the holiday many times. After lunch, rock salt and ice filled old-fashioned ice cream makers, then stainless steel inserts were filled with a prepared mixture of milk, cream, sugar, vanilla – and some wonderful extras like peaches or strawberries. Some of the ice cream makers had to be hand-cranked, others were electric. But, what I remember was having to wait what seemed like forever to get two scoops of deliciousness spooned into my bowl. Even in the shade, the summer heat would make the frozen treat start melting immediately.

I’ve always loved big fireworks displays. Tonight, hubs and I will head outside as soon as we hear the fireworks explosions begin. We’re lucky enough to have a great view of the annual city fireworks show over Lake Superior from the end of our block, so we don’t have to go far.

One of the books in the Liv & Di in Dixie series is set at the Fourth of July. There’s a beauty pageant, cake and jams competitions, festival foods, fireworks – and, of course, murder.  Someone takes out crooked councilman Bubba Rowland during the Dixie Independence Day Fest and puts Liv’s mama’s fiancé, Earl, in the frame for murder.

 

Share in the comments what you love (or don’t love) about July 4th holiday celebrations. One commenter will win a signed copy of ONE FETE IN THE GRAVE. I’m also doing a book giveaway on Facebook, so comment there for an additional chance to win. If we’re not FB friends, include your e-mail address with your comment here so I’ll be able to contact you if you win. And if we’re not Facebook friends already, we should be! Hit me up at VickieFeeAuthor. On Friday, I’ll post the blog winner’s name on the Chicks on the Case FB page.

52 thoughts on “Ice Cream — and Fireworks, too?”

  2. It is so hot here today (all over the country, I guess) but this was the perfect post to launch me out of bed to start celebrating! Thanks, Vickie–and an extra homemade ice cream scoop to Cynthia, our Birthday Chick! I was always a fan of the Fireman’s Fair on the 4th–fire truck rides and BBQ chicken on a hot day and fireworks, the “carney,” and drippy sidewalk sundaes at night!

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    2. Yay for extra scoop! Thank you, Lisa! And thanks so much, Vickie, for the lovely shout out. 😍

      The descriptions of your memories are beautiful.

      I love fireworks and parades on the 4th. 🙂

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  3. Sent you a friend request on Facebook. I’m not much into fireworks anymore. I used to watch them when I lived in Seattle because I could see them without leaving the house. Now, I generally stay home and reassure the cats that the world isn’t ending. And happy birthday, Cynthia! mbradeen@yahoo.com

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    1. Thanks, Marla — I thought we were already FB friends! And fireworks can really upset the fur babies sometimes. You’re a sweet mom.<3

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    2. Thank you, Marla! (How great that you could see them from your house before. But I hear you on the need for reassurance—-my dog has trouble with fireworks…and some Halloween costumes.) 😍

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  4. I LOVE getting together with family and friends and having a good time playing games, eating great food, and watching fireworks. I DON’T LOVE when fireworks are prohibited due to the low humidity and people do them anyway, it puts everyone in danger…also, when they are lighting them all night long. They’re beautiful up until about 11pm, then I’m done with them until the 24th(Pioneer Day here in Utah).

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  5. I love watching the fireworks, but always worry about how dangerous they are. My dog dislikes them so much that I take off from work to comfort him! Happy 4th! Happy Birthday to Cynthia!

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  6. I love the fact that the 4th of July celebrates our freedoms. Fireworks are beautiful when done in a professionally set up display but I hate when the neighborhood has them being shot off at all hours, not just on the 4th but for several days. Thanks for the opportunity to enter your giveaway.

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  7. What great memories, Vickie! I’m craving homemade ice cream right now. I’m up in Tahoe Donner. We’ll be going to the Truckee parade, then fireworks on Donner Lake tonight. BUT my personal observance will be hiking a mile to the one Donner Party site I’ve yet to visit.

    Happy bday, Cynthia. You know those fireworks are just for you. 😉

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  9. always had a family gathering with lots of great food, grandparents would hand crank ice cream ., then sparklers and fireworks when dark .we carried it on with my kids when little and as they had children, all going off to college now or close to it.

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  10. It’s cold and drizzly today in coastal Santa Cruz, but hopefully the sun will come out when we drive up into the hills for our friends’ July 4th party.

    We’ll be spending the night up there, in the hopes the fire crackers–which cause our poor little pup to shake, shiver, drool. and go pretty much bonkers–will be minimal. It’s pretty much a war zone on the street where we live (alas, no lilac trees, for those who get the reference).

    Happy Independence Day to all the Chicks and their readers!

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  11. I like seeing professional fireworks. What I hate is people shooting off fireworks all night or for days before and after. It scares the fur babies but it also can cause flashbacks for people with PTSD, especially veterans. Not a good way to thank them for their service to our country! 😦

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  12. I like Independence Day to think about all those who have served our country. For many years we would celebrate with a huge pool party with all of our family over for swimming, games, and having great food all served on our big decks all decorated in red,white and blue. Our state does not allow fireworks to be set off by anyone other than licensed professionals. We go to the local town’s displays every year possible. When I was a young child,(in another state) my cousin ended up with very bad burns and losing part of his fingers plus eye damage from fireworks that exploded irratically and so I’m not a fan of people using them due to the danger to people and possibly starting a fire with the dry grass and wooded areas or to a home nearby. The thought of someone getting hurt from fireworks will never leave my mind.
    Enjoying a quiet day and summer sun.

    Happy 4th.
    Cynthia B

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  13. I can’t think of July 4th without thinking about what it meant growing up – grilled cheeseburgers, iced down watermelon right off the vine and for our special treat it was always homemade ice cream. As a kid it was a thrill to be chosen to sit on the blanket on top of the churn while Dad cranked the handle knowing that soon what delicious treat we would be eating after it was cranked and “cured” packed in ice. I think it was made extra special by the fresh picked strawberries or peaches that Mom add to the homemade ice cream mixture that made it even better than any store bought with toppings you could buy.

    Even though it’s just hubby and I now, we still try to always have homemade ice cream on the 4th. It’s still delicious but it’s not quite as good as that from years gone by. Maybe it’s the fact that you plug it in now instead of cranking or the fact that the fruit was bought at the farmer’s market instead of picked by loving hands or maybe it’s just that all the loved ones gone before us aren’t here to feast upon it with us. All I know, is that we smack our lips both with delicious just made ice cream and smile from all the wonderful memories it invokes.

    Thanks for the chance to win a copy of “ONE FETE IN THE GRAVE”. Have a safe and happy 4th of July!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    1. Thanks, Kay! It’s great that you continue the tradition of home-made ice cream. And watermelon — I don’t think anyone had mentioned that yet. Yum!

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  15. I love fireworks! Took me awhile to adjust to living in MD, then PA…I was born and raised in Southern California. Because I had only enjoyed fireworks there, I had never had them “rained out!” Then in 1977…we (hubs, me & babes) moved to east coast. I can’t tell you how many times I cried when fireworks were cancelled. Now when I am home in Pa, I can go see fireworks any day between July 1 and July 7 or 8 because each town has a different day! One year, I was in flight over the 4th and saw fireworks out the plane window over different areas. I’m in England right now…so the only fireworks I will see are on you tube…or I’ll catch the streaming of a capitol 4th. One year when we were in uk, we had a 4th celebration for American expats…a bbq, and fireworks at the house…some of us walked into the town..where there was a music festival going on…

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  16. Happy 4th of July! I love the legal fireworks on the 4th. I live close to one of the largest fireworks display in the area and I’m able to see them out my window. I don’t have to deal with the crowds, heat and humidity.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  18. Over the last few years, it’s become a quiet holiday at home. I even skip the fireworks. I do miss them, but not the traffic trying to get to them or home from them.

    (And since I just read the book, please leave me out of the drawing for the book. Although I’d still love a pin sometime….)

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    1. Candy, my husband’s grandfather made homemade root beer for the grandkids. It was so bad, they thanked him and secretly poured it out. But, they really appreciated the effort and wouldn’t have hurt his feelings for the world!

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  22. When the kids were little we would cook out and do fireworks, now that they are grown, I stay in and where it is nice and cool and read or watch movies.

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  24. Hope you ladies all had a safe 4th July celebration! I was out of town for our annual 4th celebration on San Leon Bay at my aunt’s Pelican House..fun had by all! Happy belated birthday Cynthia K!!!

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  25. I like the food and fun. It’s my parent’s wedding anniversary so I enjoy celebrating that as well. This fourth we took it easy and just had blueberry ice cream – fun & delicious. Two things I don’t like – having to stay up so late to see fireworks with traffic getting home and fireworks illegally going off close to my house especially when we had pets that it drove crazy.

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