July 4th
My staff can tell when I’m scheduled for some time off from work without a calender, ’cause I’ll get out the office Martin and play a few tunes at lunch. This time it was ‘Greencastle Hornpipe,’ an across the pond number Wayne Benson says is as Celtic as you can get if you grew up two blocks from Burger King. Then I played the blues, one of mine called “It’s Done Come Time.”
The words to the chorus go:
“It’s done come time to not know nothing
‘Bout what you’ve done to do me wrong,
You ain’t been nothing but trouble
I’m glad you’ve up and done moved on.”
(sorry for the poor grammar, mrschili, but you have to use bad grammar when you do a blues number or it doesn’t sound authentic.)
Since it is coming up on the 4th, I closed it out with a patriotic medley, but if you want to hear it done right listen to Doyle Dyke’s version. He is the best.
At two bells, I put my stethoscope back on, and turned back into a doc. At five I shut the mental computer down to get ready for the holiday. I’m not on call this go round, so I am gonna exercise my God given American freedom and do nothing.
I love all the holidays, but July 4th is my favorite. Our 4th is a day at the lake on an inner tube, and like everyone we watch the fireworks at night. I think they are extra good when viewed from a boat out on the water, though, and my kids like the tradition from way back too.
I like the 4th ’cause it is so laid back. My wife works too hard at Christmas and Thanksgiving. On the 4th I put bratwurst on the grill, and we cook up some corn on the cob. After supper, we have watermelon for dessert down at the boat dock. Everyone spits the seeds in the water and watches the fish chase after ’em. We all wear T-shirts and bathing suits and generate almost no laundry, and work as little as possible.
Another tradition for us the last few years is the Red White and BlueGrass Festival. It is in Morganton in western N.C. and is a bluegrass event that is now a fixture for everyone in the Carolinas bluegrass community, so we get to see a lot of old friends that week.
And, at the risk of being labeled the Syndicated Southern Sap, I like the 4th ’cause it is so American. Even though our freedoms have been significantly eroded in recent years, I still think we are more free than most places in the world. Like I said at the outset, I figure a weblog like mine would be banned in many countries.
My favorite posts are the interactive ones. How do you guys spend your 4th of July? Wherever you are, I hope you have a good holiday, and a relaxed one. And I pray we remain at least somewhat free to be whatever we want to be. I realize as a WASP, that might be easier for me than for some other folks, but I wish for it for all of us regardless of race, color, creed etc.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!! I’m off to be lazy. Will be back on line soon.
Dr. B
Explore posts in the same categories: Holidays
Dr. Tom Bibey: Stories of the Bluegrass Music Road 
July 2, 2008 at 9:34 am
Doc, we will be gone the fourth so we had the eating last night. Chcken on the grill marinated with Dale’s sauce. Boiled shrimp and a tater. But momma came thru with flying colors and fixed a chocolate cobbler. One of the guys was eating another dessert and when mom said she had cobbler, a distinct sound came from his voice, ummmmmm, now he was eating on another dessert at the time, one of those low fat things. I commented that his sound in the south was an endorsement that he would have to try some of the cobbler.
I hope to catch some of those firework displays on vacation, they are just so much fun. Have a great time with the family.Of the people by the people for the people.
July 2, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Smitty,
Something that seems true about the South, at least Mississippi and N.C., is the holidays are all about food. Man that sounds good. Have a good 4th, Smitty. See ya in the fall.
Dr. B
July 2, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Some how, there are always fireworks involved in most of our celebrations.
But also to make an appearance is water mellon and lemonade.
That chocolate cobbler sure sounds like to would be good to eat. Wonder how you make it?
Chocolate has to be one of my favorites. One wonders with all the “chocolate” flavored medicine I took as a kid. And, I still can’t drink chocolate milk that comes in a carton. That texture gets me every time.
July 2, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Have a good holiday. Mr. D and I will be hitting the golf course. I hope to have a great time. The two younglings are out of town, and they (and Junior’s girlfriend) are flying back the next day.
July 2, 2008 at 5:47 pm
We’ll be in the Adirondacks for the weekend. It’ll be quiet, but with any luck we’ll have two sons, two daughters-in-law, and four grands. They’ll all go up the hill to the snooty club where some member contributes ten grand for fire works, lie down on the fifth green at the top of a rise, and watch the world explode. Someone will probably have a party and we’ll see friends we haven’t seen since last summer. Maybe we’ll even get together with a few friends and pick a little. Have a good one. – Ted
July 2, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Ms. Cindy,
So far, I ain’t met a woman yet who didn’t like chocolate. Maybe Smitty will send in a recipe.
Dr. B
July 2, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Ms. Pande,
Y’all play hard. My boy is gonna be in, we’ll probabaly hit a few too.
Dr. B
July 2, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Ted,
Y’all have a good 4th. Ran into the Knee Deep in Bluegrass folks at RW and Bluegrass, and they all said hello They had found my blog via yours!
Dr. B
July 3, 2008 at 8:33 am
Doc and Cindy,I will try and send the cobbler makings soon.
July 3, 2008 at 9:32 am
Smitty,
Look out Food Network, here come the bluegrassers!
Dr. B
July 3, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Ok(Tres. of Neuse River Fan Club Mississippi) Momma has come thru
She got the cobbler recipe from the piano player at church.
2 sticks of margarine placed in the pan the cobbler is going to be made in, melt the margarine in the oven
Mix all of this stuff in a bowl
1 1/2 cups of self rising flour( got to be Martha White ain’t it?)
1 1/2 cups of sugar
3/4 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Mix all this good and pour into the pan with the margarine
Next Bowl of real good stuff
1 cup of sugar
5 tablespoons of cocoa( now we are talking)
mix together
sprinkle over the flour mixture you have in the margarine pan
Then 1 1/2 cups of water over the whole thing
Time to bake, I love this
350 degrees for 30 minutes
or if you have a hot oven, according to Momma, 325 for 35 minutes, that’s what makes her momma,
Doc, see that Cindy might get this, I have got to go, got a bowl of it left over,
July 4, 2008 at 6:31 am
There you have it folks! Smitty, I will cruise over to Cindy’s blog and leave her a message.
Hey Smitty, I heard Wayne Benson and III Tyme Out last pm. God meant for me to be a doctor! Wayne was on fire on the mandolin.
Dr. B
July 4, 2008 at 7:42 am
Thanks Dr. B. And thank you Smitty! That sounds really good and something I am gonna try. I am gonna share this with my friends and we will have people here making chocolate cobbler too!
July 4, 2008 at 7:45 am
Cindy,
Cool. We are now the Bluegrass Food Network!
Dr. B
July 4, 2008 at 9:28 am
The Chili family has a long-standing tradition of spending the Fourth with the Bowyer family, eating grilled stuff (usually burgers and dogs) and junk food (though the watermelon idea sounds like a tradition we might start this year) and going to College Town to watch their fireworks display from the far end of the running track at the University’s athletic complex. I love the Fourth for much the same reasons you do, Doc; it’s a lazy, feel-good holiday.
I’m going to try the chocolate cobbler – I’m intrigued…
July 6, 2008 at 3:24 pm
mrschili,
Cool. We had a great 4th. When y’all take up that watermelon they’ll know you have been reading those southern blogs again!
Let me know how you like the chocolate cobbler. I am playing a Hee Haw show with Smitty this fall, and I’ll report the reviews from up North to him.
Dr. B
July 7, 2008 at 9:18 am
Ok, guys and gals, enjoy my contribution to the bluegrass blog. Wayne Benson is great on the mando, I love it when gets out the mandola.
Hey Doc,
Doyle is going to be in your neck of the woods at that big festival in town. I love to hear him. He has basically a new band from 2 years ago. Got some young guys playing. DLQ puts on a good show. The group I am with attended Smoke on the Mountain the other night. We are all still talking about the play. Ever seen it? Take care, relax on vacation, we are!
July 7, 2008 at 9:28 am
Smitty,
Wayne is a good’un for sure, and rocks on both mandolin and mandola. We saw Doyle at RWB, and the man always finds the best young players. Still a very high quality band after all these years.
Yep, saw Smoke on the Mountain once- very enjoyable, and excellent music.
Dr. B