Good morning my DU family,

I went to our local fireworks show to celebrate the 4th of July and I'm going to recommend some of you that haven't done so in a few years go ahead and go this year.

In case you didn't know the nitty gritty, the pyrotechnicians that set off the fireworks are highly trained and cost the very most to hire on the fourth. That's why smaller towns do the fireworks early every year.

There are so many new "cool" varieties that I hadn't seen before doing some amazing stuff. I personally went to Sonic, (they still serve their shakes in Styrofoam cups so it won't melt fast) got a large Strawberry -Banana shake and a chili dog and then scooped out the perfect parking spot to view them.

I'll be going to St Louis tomorrow to see the big city version to celebrate my fiftieth anniversary in these United States of America as I arrived from Germany, oh so long ago, on that fourth of July, 1976.

Please give us a day filled with opportunities to celebrate the very best of us, of each other, and of the mosaic that makes the USA the incredible country that she is no matter how hard some work to destroy it.

Have a wonderful, safe, and fun filled, personal Independence Day weekend my DU family.
Love, John