Two Noras: July 4, 1914 and July 4, 2021

Nora Bauer: Saturday, July 4, 1914

Had to work this morning. Stayed home and read this afternoon. Shot off some firecrackers this evening. Paul and I and Louis & Mary went to the park. 

Nora Bauer: Sunday, July 4, 2021

Picked up Ann and Tim for Lebanon parade, starring Dad's tractor. Cookout at Farm after. Spectacular fireworks on the drive home. Watched parking lot fireworks with my neighbors. 

I wish I knew what Grandma Nora was reading. I assume that the two couples went to Spencer Park....I guess I'm also assuming that Louis and Mary were a couple. A newspaper search for Louis and Mary was futile - lots of Marys and the St. Louis line from Logansport was mentioned in almost every paper. I'm glad that Nora had a nice day. 

This Nora had a lovely day also. 

I tried to sleep in after my Red Key shift last night, but didn't have it in me. I watched the Sunday morning news shows - CBS Sunday Morning is sort of like church, right?  On Meet the Press, Dr. Fauci, Director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases reported that over 99% of the people who died from COVID-19 in June were unvaccinated - only 0.8% were vaccinated. It's surreal that Dad was one of that small group. 

I typically decorate the house for Independence Day. Red, white, and blue lights across the top of the house, bunting, flags in flower pots and such. This year I haven't done a dang thing. I dipped in to my tote of July 4th stuff deep enough to grab a red, white, and blue scarf to wear with my black dress for church. 

I changed to something slightly for festive for the Lebanon parade - a long-standing tradition in our family. I popped by the Farm to grab Ann and Tim. We were able to park close to our viewing spot at Norma's house and met up with some of the Herr's. 

The highlight was that one of Dad's church friends, Joe Leising, drove Dad's John Deere B tractor in the parade! Joe had reached out to me before the funeral asking if he could. I gave him the thumbs up and promptly forgot about it. 

How awesome is this? And it was a real sacrifice for Joe - he's on record as NOT being a John Deere guy. Hear Joe talking about it by clicking here.  I'll be forever grateful to Joe for honoring Dad in this way. 

After the parade, Ann, Tim, Ann Herr Mitchell, and I went to Ice Cream Paradise - which always makes me miss Mr. Herr. 

Beth, Troy, and Mom joined us at the Farm for a cookout. Thanks to Tim for doing the grilling and to Beth for the grocery store run. 

It was dark by the time I headed home and I got to see huge beautiful fireworks as I drove to Indianapolis. 

I took a chance and walked up the block to see if my teenage neighbor was staging a fireworks show in the parking lot across the street from their house. He was! And I got to watch it from the back of his pickup truck. 

Exactly what I needed. 

I just love that Megan and Corey are raising their children in the neighborhood. And they're great neighbors - a tree fell on my house the day before I went to Tanzania seven years ago and Corey took care it. One of their sons mowed my grass when I had a broken ankle three years ago. I'm lucky enough to own a Megan painting and a vase from Corey - they are amazing artists. Megan lends her talent to tons of public art projects, including two that are within a block of me.

What I expected to be a sad day was full of joy!