The Fourth of July touches people in many different ways. For some it is the declaration of independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain, for other it’s a day off work to relax but for others it is something very special. One of Xlibris‘ most distinguished authors, Velma Benson Wilson, returns to the Xlibris blog illustrate why and how the Fourth of July will always be in her heart.
This week we celebrate our nation’s birthday. I can’t help but recall what it was like growing up in the eras of 60s and 70s in rural Mississippi and welcoming this special day in our history.
It wasn’t about the fireworks or parades, but coming together as a family and spending quality time together. Being from a large family of 17siblings made the Fourth of July an occasion you wouldn’t want to miss. When some of my siblings married and moved away from home, no matter the distances, whether living in, California, Texas, Tennessee, they made that trek year after year until the death of our dear mother to be home on the Fourth.
We had some great times out in the backyard at Mom’s house. We played croquette, spades, biz wiz; our palates were satiated with scrumptious food; we told tall tales, and we devoured our mom’s homemade ice cream down to the last spoonful.
The one thing I disliked most about the July 4 celebrations, it seemed like everybody all of a sudden was in the family. People showed up that we hadn’t seen in years and invited themselves over for our mom’s home cooking. The spread would be “laid out.” I’m talking potato salad, cold slaw, barbecue chicken and ribs with her special sauce, fried catfish, baked beans, fried corn, banana pudding, peach and blackberry cobblers and to top it off, our mom’s homemade ice cream.
For my siblings and me, mom’s homemade ice cream was a succulent treat. I don’t know all the ingredients or the measurements for her homemade ice cream. There are no culinary skills I have come across that could make this treat like she did. I know my mother used eggs, milk, vanilla extract and lots of sugar. What made it so special was that all the main ingredients were from a nearby farm: fresh laid eggs, milk from the cow, and just her special touch.
Once mom had mixed and brewed all the ingredients together on the stove top, she poured the warm savory mixture into a metal 2-gallon (steel) container and placed the container into a wooden bucket with an attached handle. She poured ice around the metal bucket in the container and added salt on top of the large chunks of ice. The metal handle would be secured and tightened. This is when the excitement began.
My brothers and sisters all waited anxiously to help turn the spindle in order to freeze the enclosed delectable mixture. One of my favorite parts of this whole process was licking the salty cubes of clear ice placed in the bucket to freeze the mixture. Back in the day, ice was sold in huge blocks weighing up to 10 pounds. An ice pick was used to puncture and chip the block into smaller pieces to fit inside the wooden bucket. Our mom always made two containers of ice cream so we could all enjoy, and unfortunately, our uninvited guests would partake as well.
There were two things you can count on during the eras of ‘60s and ‘70s Fourth of July celebrations in the Mississippi Delta, and this holds true today – hot humid weather and the malicious blood-sucking mosquitoes. But the time we spend together as a family was worth the endurance of these elements.
Of course, as the day cooled down and evening approached, we would bring out the watermelons, the last course of the celebration. I can’t imagine the Fourth of July without a red, juicy slice of watermelon. I am talking about real watermelon, not the genetically altered ones without the seeds you’ll find in most grocery stores today.
After the watermelons were consumed, we would just sit and talk and play catch-up. No TV, radio, or music in the background, just our voices filled with laughter, sharing and making lasting memories. Until later in the evening, fireworks exploded, lighting the sky from a distance and the popping, whistling, shooting sounds captured our attention. What a perfect ending as we celebrated many of our nation’s birthdays back during these times in the comfort of our mom’s backyard.
Benson-Wilson’s Book What’s In The Water? was selected by Xlibris for the critics choice award. To watch a a short piece of footage on Benson-Wilson and What’s In The Water, click here or visit Benson-Wilson on Twitter here.