4th of July in Slater, IA

No -- we didn't go to the motherland for the 4th, but the 4th is always connected to Slater, IA for me...

My mother grew up in Slater, a smallish town between Ames and Des Moines. Slater doesn't have much, not even its own high school these days... but Slater has a park perfect for a 4th of July carnival and a pool perfect for a swim on a hot Iowa afternoon. Slater has a Main Streett he perfect lenght for a 4th of July parade complete with politicians in convertables, firetrucks, and tractors from the John Deere dealership in town -- all throw the mandatory candy. That is, if you pick the right year to celebrate the 4th of July.

Among all the other things Slater has, it also has a neighbor -- Huxley -- where the 4th of July gets celebrated "the other years". Kelly, IA, like the poor relation at Christmas doesn't get a 4th of July at all -- they have to go to Slater.

Later today I'll find and copy a description of a Slater 4th written by my Grandfather's cousin -- an author of books about the prairie.... for now I'll give you some of my memories of a Slater 4th of July... they may not be exactly 4th of July memories, but they are of Iowa in the summer....

Food... early tomatoes and the first BLTs and berries -- lots of berries... on ice cream, straight off the bush into the cereal bowl... One time my sister and cousin went out to pick berries for their ice cream after dark... they put the berries straight onto the ice cream and ate at least part of the sundae before coming inside... they idly wondered what was crunchy about vanilla ice cream and raspberries. They were about 9 -- when they wondered to the rest of the family, we realized they had to have eaten some of the black bugs found on every raspberry bush.

My Grandparent's house -- (it has since burned down, but I refuse to remember that...) A big white victorian in the middle of town --kitty corner from the Lutheran Church. The house had a huge front porch and an amazing balcony. I inhereted my allergies from Grandma, so she and grandpa had window air conditioners that ran all summer... so the whirr and gurgle of those monstorous units is the background to my image of the gold/brown carpet, large dining room and huge kitchen.... my grandpa's Lazy-boy in the TV room and the 'staircase of terror' by which we hazed the younger cousins....

Fireflies -- we never saw them at home -- we lived too far north or something -- but they were thick in Iowa in July. Of course, we'd have to catch them in the warm, soft Iowa night air -- we'd put them in jars with airholes in the lids and some grass and leaves. Of course they'd die by morning. Something so wonderful as a firefly couldn't survive in the light of day.

Fireworks -- of course, with the 4th come the fireworks--- about dusk we'd all tromp to the edge of town and settle in the school yard and around the Dairy Twist (small town Dairy Queen). We'd sit on blankets and doze on eachother's shoulders, sleepy from a day of games, parades, swimming and running all over Slater. Finally, the show would begin -- and we'd each recall how one of our uncles taught us how to properly oooh and awww --- reserving the combo of ohh-ahhhh for the finale. At the end of the show, when we were SURE the finale was really over, we'd slowly walk back to Grandma's house in the cool but humid night air and crawl into our sleepingbags on the livingroom floor... careful to leave a path for Grandpa's early morning routine.

My cousins -- Every summer, at least once, we'd all get together and wreak some havoc.... I'm the oldest, then there's Emily, my sister Pam, Emily's brother Eric, Chris, his twin brothers Nick and John, and Oliver and his sister Martha bringing up the rear of the cousin parade.... nine of us total -- Oliver and Martha were pretty young when we had our last cousin parties-- but we'd always come up with something new and fun to do... or, at least most of the time. I distinctly remember waking up one summer morning, I was about 14, Pam and Em were 11, Eric 8, Chris 7 Nick and John5 --- with ALL of them staring at me... kind of creepy. Their explanation - they were so bored that watching me sleep was entertainment...

Now Emily, Eric and Nick are married with Kids -- Pam has died, Chris is a Shakespearean actor in NYC and Memphis (don't ask... I don't know) John is managing a restaurant in Memphis, Oliver just graduated from college and Martha is a summer intern in the entertainment business in LA... Martha always did know how to have a good time....

I don't miss my cousins on any other holiday but the 4th... on the 4th we were like a big band of siblings that got along great... that, I miss.