Now I know it's summer!

Sass, Sarah, and I spent the weekend at Sarah's beachhouse. After a full weekend of walking in the sand, wading in the ocean, and reading trashy magazines--not to mention evenings filled with mah jongg and wine--I truly have the summer-time spirit.
That means it is time for the List of Things I Want to Do This Summer:
1. go to a different beach every weekend
2. concoct a different summer cocktail every Sunday evening
3. picnic as often as possible
4. eat ice cream. perhaps daily.
5. finish the damn backyard pondlet.
6. put up the little screen house. sit in it every evening and listen to the Red Sox.
7. lie in the hammock whenever possible.
8. take the kids to the beach for the week. this may prove impossible, but hope springs eternal.
9. build the kids a tree house. hmmm . . .
10. learn to ride a horse. Unbelievably, this is something I will definitely do, as Sarah and I start a class next Saturday!!!

As part of our weekend activities, Sarah, Sass, and I came up with our list of favorite movies to watch on the 4th of July:
Sarah: Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942): James Cagney singing, dancing, waving the flag. check out the final scene where Cagney dances down the White House staircase!!!! Whoa!
Sass: Independence Day (1996) : all-star extravaganza, aliens vs. the earthlings.
M.T.: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939): You know how some people love It's a Wonderful Life? That's how I feel about this movie. The best and the worst about our country's political system, plus the power of one to make changes, plus Jimmy Stewart!!!
Others on the list:
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962): What could be more appropo than Atticus Finch's addressing the jury thusly: "All men are created equal . . . that's no ideal to me. that's a living, working reality!"
The Great Escape (1963): this story about Allied prisoners plotting escape from a German P.O.W. camp has a good scene about the only Americans in the camp celebrating the 4th with homemade moonshine.
1776 (1972): A musical about the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. Surprisingly interesting and well . . . historical!

Happy 4th to all!