God Bless America...

We've started our summer off to a good start. The oldest has been in summer school taking tennis since school was out. This weekend we'll head to the cottage to visit with my husbands Godparents and their family for our traditional 4th of July extraveganza. We hit the small town parade and then have dinner later with family friends. I enjoy this tradition. However, I think I have a different version of tradition than everyone else. In my mind tradition means getting together with family and friends - every year - and every year celebrating with the parade and dinner. It does not mean to me that we have to sit in the same place at the parade, serve the same cocktail (always and bloody mary and don't EVEN think about something fruity) and at dinner eat the same thing every year whether anyone enjoys it or not. For some reason someone told the host that his baked beans were delicious and his chicken was juicy. They flat lied to his face and now I have to pretend I like it every year. The hostess makes a flag cake every year. I get that it's the 4th and that's appropriate but not everyone enjoys a cake made of cool whip. Serve something chocolate for those of us who have a sweeter tooth.
Yes, I've offered to bring something to the party and every year I hear - No we have it under control. I even feel like I have the same exact conversations with the guests every year. I guarantee there's a lady there who's going to ask me where I'm from and do I like it here. Maybe this year I'll change my answer.
Now there are things that we have every year at every party for every occasion. There's my moms chocolate cake for example. It's delicious so there's no need to deviate from perfection. However, I've heard through the grape vine that some people are getting tired of that (blasphemous). Just think haters, if you had to have the exact same meal with the cake every single time. GRRR!
I realize I'm a brat. They don't even have to invite me over and truth be told some years they probably don't want to. I have a slight habit of being moody and I tend not to hold back on that. I'm not ugly but it gets to be a long day and by the time dinner comes charred off the grill I've usually had enough. However, they're wonderful people so I'll try and keep it in check. Or I'll just drink all the bloody marys...
If I don't have time to post before the holiday I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe 4th of July. God Bless America! (By the way - we have to sing that every year too before we're allowed cool whip cake)...