Yesterday, on the Fourth of July, we had a “gathering of friends” to celebrate Independence Day. Although the day was hot and muggy and thunder rumbled in the distance, the weather cooperated so that we could have our meal outside on the patio, one of the places I love best. Between the hurry brought about by the threat of rain and my duties as a hostess, I did not take any pictures of the actual event. Therefore, the pictures included in this post are after the fact—the two salads, my gardens, the patio.

Our daughter Shannon and her husband, Mike, were supposed to join us, but unfortunately, Shannon came down with a dratted summer cold and stayed home to doze and to recuperate. They were missed, as was our eldest daughter, Dee, who lives in Brooklyn. As I’m fond of saying to Dee, “If only you lived in Boston…”

As is always the case at our gatherings, there was food galore, with many contributions from our friends. We started with appetizers, which included a Mexican dip, goat cheese and crackers, a melon platter, hummus, pita bread, and carrots. Then it was on to the main meal—grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, and chickpea burgers. (A note about the chickpea burgers: they are actually better fried in a bit of oil in a pan rather then grilled. The chickpea patties tend to be a little dry, and the oil in the pan enhances them.) We also had potato salad, pasta and spinach salad, and a big green salad with a wide variety of greens. A red, white, and blue Jello salad, which has become a staple on Fourth of July. For dessert, strawberry shortcake with chocolate biscuits. A real feast.

Although the food was certainly the centerpiece of the day, the real highlight for me, at least, was the company—Alice and Joel Johnson, Diane Friese, Jill Lectka, and Sybil Baker—and the resulting conversation. We talked about all the things that fire us up—movies, books, politics, art, and a bit of personal stuff, of course. Around the patio table we talked until the mosquitoes drove us in, and sitting around the dinning room table, we talked some more.

In the course of the conversation, there was a discussion about how each year on Public Radio, the Declaration of Independence is read. I mentioned how I love the language of this piece, and how much I enjoy hearing it read. There seemed to be general agreement about this, and there was even a suggestion that next year, we should included a reading of the Declaration of Independence at our gathering. Who knows? Maybe we will.

This morning, Diane sent me an email thanking me for inviting her to the barbecue. I replied, “Actually, I was thinking of sending everyone a thank-you note for joining Clif and me on the Fourth. What a great bunch! I’m so grateful to have you all as friends.”

A very good Fourth, indeed. Now, if only “the kids” could have been there, too.