Sunday, July 4, 2010

Independence Day

Happy Birthday America!

With all our foibles and shortcomings and missteps throughout history, the idea of the United States of America is a profound and substantive notion of the importance of each human being. Along with those rights and responsibilities we the people have, comes the opportunities so many clamor to have. As Tony Blair said, "How many want to get in, how many want to get out (of America)?" We consider ourselves so very fortunate to have been born into this democracy!


We are at the Dakota Meadows Campground, right south of the Mystic Lake Casino. We have really enjoyed being here. Ellen's son Matt has been here for some 2 weeks, and we celebrated grandson Mica's 5th birthday. We have gambled a little bit. We have been to the Mall of America. We will be here through July 20th, when Matt flies back to Colombia, and we trek south to Fort Dodge again. Our plan is to set up camp at Alec and Charlton Pendry's and zoom to the Civic Center in Des Moines to see Jersey Boys.

Matt is flying to Germany to day to visit his host family from when he was an exchange student his senior year in High School. He's pretty excited about it....Tonight the casino is having an Oak Ridge Boys Concert outdoors with fireworks to follow. I think we'll be able to hear it easily from our site, plus have a great view of the fireworks.