Celebrate Independence Day with Fireworks!
On July 4th, 1776, our founding fathers formally adopted the Declaration of Independence from England.
Over the next several days, the Declaration was signed and the United States of America took on a new life of its own.
Now, we celebrate Independence Day with feasts, parades, celebrations, concerts, and - at the end of the day - with fireworks.
It's our national birthday celebration and we enjoy it.
However, that's not the only reason I created this lens.
I have a personal story to share with you.
Declaration of Independence
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Declaration of Independence Links
- What Happened to the 56 Men Who Signed the Declaration of ...
- Neither the American nor the British authorities sought to induce .... was at the time the greatest nation on the face of the planet throughout history. ...
- United States Declaration of Independence - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- United States Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, announcing that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain were no longer a part of the British Empire....
- Declaration of Independence
- Drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776, the Declaration of Independence is at once the nation's most cherished symbol of liberty and Jefferson's most enduring monument....
Declaration of Independence
My First Nickname was "Firecracker"
Mom didn't like it
Three days later, on Independence Day, I came home from the hospital with my Mom and Dad.
It was a rare, cold day in July in the Atlanta, Georgia, suburbs and I was so cold that my lips were turning blue. Dad had to go get an electric heater just to warm me up.
Of course, I was much smaller then than I am now, but I was reminded of this story on my birthday this year when we had a cold snap here in the North Carolina mountains and I used an electric heater to keep me warm in my office.
I told Mom that I'd plugged in my heater and she told me, again, the whole story. I'll just share the most relevant parts.
Dad enjoyed nicknames. When he was younger, his hair was brown with a reddish tint, but his mustache was much redder. That, coupled with his red, sunburned complexion resulted in almost everyone calling him "Red" when he was a young man.
When he liked you, it wasn't uncommon for him to give you a nickname. It was always done with respect; he would never give you a nickname you wouldn't like.
Still, I was called Firecracker for only a couple of days before Mom put a stop to it. From that point forward, I was called Johnny, and "Firecracker" was relegated to the dim foggy memories of my parents and a few relatives.
I heard the story not too long before Dad died in 1991. He had a twinkle in his eye when he called me Firecracker out of range of Mom's hearing.
So, this year, during the cold snap, I told Mom that I would be known henceforward as Firecracker Dilbeck.
Even now, 56 years later, she's not too happy about it, and I doubt it will stick, but at least my brother sent me a Happy 4th of July email and called me Firecracker.
You can, too, if you want.
I'll continue to answer to John or JD, but I'll get a warm, fuzzy memory of my Dad when you call me Firecracker.
Firecracker Dilbeck, that's my name. Blogging and websites, that's my game.
I hope you have a wonderful Independence Day celebration with family and friends, followed by a rousing display of loud and beautiful fireworks in the summer evening.
Happy 4th of July!
Firecracker Dilbeck
July 4, 2008
Firecracker Dilbeck and Granny
Celebrate the USA
Products from CafePress with Patriotic Designs
More products and designs are available in the USA Flag Wear section of John Dilbeck's Shirts, Mugs, and Hats store, powered by CafePress.
Fireworks!
Fireworks lighting up the night sky in celebration!
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What do you think about fireworks?
Fireworks Videos
Professional Fireworks Displays
How do they do that?
- Fireworks Displays and Shows Worldwide
- Information about fireworks and fireworks displays around the world.
- To Entertain and Inspire with Fire - Firework displays, large and small, for all occasions and budgets from Dragon Fireworks
- Firework displays, large and small, for all occasions and budgets - DIY packs or Dragon managed productions. Dragon fireworks has devoted its time and experience to creating displays that are beyond the normal and are truly incredible. We pride ourselves on working with you to create a truly unique...
- Fireworks: How do they do that?
- Firework Displays - how the professionals create, build and fire award-winning shows.
- HowStuffWorks "How Fireworks Work"
- Fireworks may seem magical, but the science behind them is easy to understand. Learn how fireworks and firecrackers work and watch a fireworks video.
Celebrate with fireworks
- Independence Day (United States) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, picnics, baseball games, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States, but is often also viewed as simply a summer festival, apart from its patriotic overtones....
- Fireworks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Each year before the American Independence Day (July 4th) retailers across the nation experience a surge in fireworks sales.[citation needed] Independence Day is a federal holiday celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.
Independence Day is commonly associated with parades, barbecues, picnics, baseball games, and various other public and private events celebrating the history and traditions of the U.S. Fireworks have been associated with the Independence since 1777....
Independence Day Parades
Photos of the Marine Corps Band, representing the United States of America, in parades.
Whether or not these photos are of an Independence Day parade, they show the patriotic spirit of Americans on our national holiday.
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Patriotic Music
God Bless America: The Ultimate Patriotic Album
Amazon Price: $12.99 (as of 08/30/2008)
God Bless the U.S.A.: Kids Sing Songs for America
Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 08/30/2008)
Patriotic Songs of America
Amazon Price: $9.98 (as of 08/30/2008)
Patriotic Country
Amazon Price: $13.99 (as of 08/30/2008)
Patriotic Songs and Marches
Amazon Price: $15.99 (as of 08/30/2008)
(Independence Day is July 4, 2009)
Happy 4th of July!
Patriotic Songs Links
- American patriotic music - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- American patriotic music is a part of the culture and history of the United States since its founding in the 18th century and has served to encourage feelings of national unity.[1] Patriotic music in America owes its origins to four main wars - the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the American Civil War, and the Spanish American War....
- Sing Along Midis and Lyrics for the NIEHS Kids' Pages
- Sing-Along Midis and Lyrics for the NIEHS Kids' Pages, presented by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences as a means of introducing kids to science and research interests.
Some examples of these songs follow, below. - Stars and Stripes Forever
- Music and lyrics to Stars and Stripes Forever, by John Philip Sousa.
- Star Spangled Banner
- Star Spangled Banner, composed by Francis Scott Key, "In Defense of Fort McHenry" in September 1814. Congress proclaimed it the U.S. National Anthem in 1931 -- history follows.
- You're A Grand Old Flag
- You're A Grand Old Flag - Music and lyrics by George M. Cohan.
- America the Beautiful
- America the Beautiful - lyrics by Katherine Lee Bates;
music composed by Samuel A. Ward - more history follows the lyrics. - My Country 'Tis of Thee (America)
- My Country 'Tis of Thee (America) - written by Samuel Francis Smith; the tune used for this song is "God Save the Queen", the British National Anthem.
- Columbia, The Gem of the Ocean
- Columbia, The Gem of the Ocean - The version that was written in 1843 (T. Becket, D. Shaw; © 1999 AmeriMusic, Inc.) was extremely popular during the Lincoln years, and was usually included among the patriotic songs played by the Marine Band for the President's ceremonial gatherings. But the song was apparently a rewrite of a very well known British tune entitled "Red, White, and Blue" that was composed and written by Thomas A'Becket in 1750.
Independence Day
![Independence Day [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51uFYbcMj-L._SL75_.jpg)
Stars and Stripes - Flag of the USA
The Flag of the United States of America
- Flag of the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- The flag of the United States of America consists of 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 U.S. states and the 13 stripes represent the original Thirteen Colonies that rebelled against the British Crown and became the first states in the Union.
Nicknames for the flag include the stars and stripes, Old Glory, the American flag, and the star-spangled banner (also the name of the country's official national anthem)....
Share your thoughts of Independence Day!
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clouda9
Firecracker Dilbeck you have out done yourself with this fabulous lens! Loved that you shared your personal story. Posted July 06, 2008 |
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Susan52
Great lens, Firecracker! Great story and a great subject overall. I love Independence Day, love the fireworks, love the reason we celebrate! Happy belated birthday, too. You were born in a very, very good year! :-) Posted July 06, 2008 |
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MaryGallagher
Really enjoyed reading this lens, John, personal, fun, a little history, a little science. Good stuff, thanks! Posted July 05, 2008 |
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PatinKC
Well, Firecracker! You've made a fine lens with a great story. My dad was called Red, also...because of his red curly hair. Great photo of you and Granny! Posted July 05, 2008 |
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GypsyOwl
Happy Belated Birthday JD! :D I love this lens and your story is really touching. Every now and then, if I call you Firecracker...it will be because I remembered your story and how it reminded me about my Grand Dad calling me 'Sister'. I really thought he didn't 'know' my name. LOL Posted July 05, 2008 |
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johndilbeck
The 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays. I love waiting in the warm, usually humid, southern night waiting for it to get dark enough - and then the whoosh of the rocket, the streak of light up into the sky, and the BOOM! of the explosion as rays of colored light streak across the sky. Posted July 04, 2008 |
