Jump Starting July 4th

We're going to do several blog posts today. (Hopefully.)  We will start off July 4th with breakfast.  Most of the LDS Wards put on some sort of free public feed on July 4th.  We experienced our first such meal on July 4th in Escalante, Utah, exactly 10 years ago today.  It was a spectacular potluck with all the trimmings.  This week, some of the 11th Ward Young Men and Young Women (YM/YW, as they are known) went around the Ward neighborhood and passed out a tiny piece of paper not much larger than a 3x5 card.  It just said the Neighborhood was invited to breakfast July 4th morning between 7-9 am and gave an address.  There was nothing on the paper to indicate it was an LDS event.  Of course, anyone who knows how these things work knows the score so I eagerly awaited July 4th morning and showed up not long after the event commenced at 7 am.  It was really fun and a great traditional, rootin', tootin' red, white and blue American breakfast as well.  I made certain to wear red, white and blue as did many other older attendees.  As usual, the meal was served in the Ward gym which was all spick and span for the event.  The food included hashbrowns, sourdough pancakes, scrambled eggs with onions and peppers on the side, sausage links, tortillas, shredded cheese, salsa, all sorts of jams, syrups and jellies for the pancakes and boxes and boxes of orange juice, chocolate milk and 2% milk.  Naturally, the breakfast food was cooked to Red, White & Blue Perfection by a crew of LDS men who have been through this drill since they were knee high to a sausage link.  It felt great to partake in this traditional patriotic meal.  It was a great way to kick off this July 4th.  There's a lot more Independence Day festivities in which to partake today and we hope to illustrate them all this year.  Yep, there will be a lot of photos posted here today so pull up your Laz-E-Boy recliner and sit a spell.  We're bringing the Idaho Falls July 4th to your neighborhood today.  Many Cheers!  jp