“Look out into the July night, and see
the broad belt of silver flame which flashes
up the half of heaven, fresh and delicate as
the bonfires of the meadow-flies.”
By Ralph Waldo Emerson

I must say that I enjoy fireworks. When I was a little kid in Jamaica Plain, we had an outdoor clothesline area. We would put pinwheel fireworks on the thick wooden supports for the lines and light them. Pinwheels were my positive favorites. As we grew older, my friends and I would go up to Jamaica Pond where there was a fireworks show each 4th. I loved seeing the colors of the fireworks reflecting in the pond’s water. Now Hubby and I get into our chairs and watch the Boston Pops’ concert, with the wonderful fireworks following. We especially love the 1812 Overture.

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Last Friday Hubby and I were out in the yard and we were so proud. Hubby had planted his little tomato plants behind the grapevine. I had planted the two whiskey barrels. I had found lavender geraniums and put them in the middle of the larger barrel. I put white impatiens all around the edge of the barrel. It looks beautiful. I put red geraniums in the center of the smaller whiskey barrel. All around the edge of that barrel, I alternated red and white impatiens. That one looks almost patriotic, even without a blue flower. While we were out in the yard, gathering weeds, we saw an oddly decorated plane in the sky, heading for Logan. Earlier in the week I had heard Bob Weiss, on WBZ Radio, mention that Hainan Airlines would begin its flights from Beijing to Boston this week. I said to Hubby, “Wouldn’t that be funny if we saw the first flight of the Chinese airline?” In Saturday morning’s newspapers, we saw photos of the new plane. We had, indeed, seen the Chinese airplane.

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Last Tuesday evening, I was at the home of our Pope’s Hill Neighborhood Association president, Phil Carver. Jamie Kaszanek and Brian Waldman, two new E Board members, were already there. Mike Juliano then came in as did PHNA Treasurer Judy Burke and Recording Secretary Chris Whitemore. Phil’s wife Pam was still at work. When I arrived, I asked if anyone knew what was happening at St. Ann’s Church that evening. There were cars everywhere and we saw mobs of people entering the church. Phil said that there was a prayer vigil for young Tommy Kelly, the son of Eddie and Katherine Kelly, who is ill. (Our prayers are with him.)

Pam came in from work and told us that she was going to go to church for Tommy’s prayer vigil. Before she left, however, we kidded her about her name appearing on the front page of The Boston Globe that morning. Pam’s boss, Mayor Marty Walsh, had said that Pam, his scheduler, probably has more power than anyone in his office as the article discussed the number of women among the mayor’s appointees.

The main focus of the E Board meeting was to discuss what preparations were made for the Pope’s Hill Block Party, which will be held on McKone Street on Sat., June 28, from noon to 6 p.m. The Person of the Year and the Business of the Year were discussed and then voted upon. Quite a few attractions for the kids were discussed, and Mike Juliano talked about manning the grill. The plans for the Block Party are almost complete.

I could hear Phil’s kids upstairs. Then they came down the stairs, trying to corral the Carvers’ new dog, “Lola.” (I love the name!) Her long tongue licked my hands as she came near me under the dining-room table. She is a Valley Bulldog, quite big and strong. (I had never heard of that breed.) I would not like to walk her. Actually, she’d be walking me. Her personality is great. I googled Valley Bulldogs and discovered that they are a rare breed, originally from Canada, and are considered a “low maintenance” dog. She is a sweetie.

While I was at the E Board meeting, pal Mike Juliano told me about the 50th anniversary party held for his mother and father, Dottie and Mike Juliano, at the Weymouth Elks on May 31. (Their actual anniversary is June 13.) The party was hosted by their children: Debbie and Mike Scapicchio, Teresa and Richard Wisnes, and Mike and Anne Juliano. Also present were their eight grandchildren: Michaela, Nicholas, Anthony, Alex, Michael, Sophia, Domenic, and Angela. Some of their guests came from out of state. Dottie’s brother and sister-in-law Jim and Claire Spinelli were there from New Jersey. Mike’s niece Janet Mclean came from Arizona. Dottie’s Cousin Veronica Gambill came all the way from Florida. Mike’s cousin, Camille Rigney and her husband Ray, were there from Rhode Island. Finally, Mike’s nephew, Fr. Benedict Grant, joined the party from Connecticut. The guests particularly enjoyed a musical slide show presentation prepared by Richard King that highlighted Mike and Dottie’s lives together and with the family. I send my best wishes to Mike and Dottie on their 50th!

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Monday, June 2, had finally arrived. Hubby was thrilled. It was the day we were to drive to Cape Cod to enjoy five days at the Irish Village in South Yarmouth. We had spent most of Sunday packing. We had to make sure we had our swimsuits. (Hubby loves the hot tub for his back.) We heard that the weather forecast for the week was not the best, so we probably would not get in the outdoor pool. We had extra clothing in case our clothes got soaked with the predicted rain.

We started out about 1 p.m. Because we would not be eligible for the dinner that evening at the Village, we decided once again to stop at the Friendly’s Restaurant in Hanover.

Back on the road we went. I cannot journey down to the Cape without looking for the shrine to Trooper Mark Charbonnier in Kingston. There were no problems crossing the Sagamore Bridge and within minutes we were in Hyannis. We were going to stop at Kmart but we needed to rest before the evening’s entertainment. Check-in at the Irish Village went smoothly and we were soon in our room. We hung up our clothes and plopped onto the bed. Hubby thought he had better go out to find one of our group of 23 vacationers to check on the time we had to be in the dining hall for entertainment. Here are the names of those who joined us: Eileen Collins organized our trip. Then we also had Marilyn Ferrara, Marie Schallmo, Evelyn Dunne, Phyllis Harford, Gregory and Sarah Ashe, Mary Keeley, Barbara Sullivan, Michael McNally, Joe and Barbara Scarborough, Irene Duff, Ann Marshall, Ann Provost, Kay Griffin, Mary O’Toole, Walter and Carol Belmont, Ray and Mary Fronk, plus Hubby and me. We had the same two tables to sit at all times, thanks to Tom McCormack, who supervises the dining area. (He keeps things moving beautifully.) We were entertained the first evening by Derrick Keane from Inchicore. (Inchicore is a district in London.) Jeannie Clark also sang . We enjoyed the music and, about 10:30 p.m., we made our way back to our room.

Eileen, our group leader, had told us to be at breakfast at about 8 a.m. I didn’t even have to look at the menu. I knew what I wanted., the corned beef hash breakfast. (The hash at the Irish Village is nice and dry, not greasy at all.) Of course, the breakfast included eggs (scrambled) and home fries. After I finished the hash, I could only eat a few potatoes. I barely touched the eggs but the hash was worth it. It was a solid, stick-to my-ribs breakfast.

We would go toward Dennisport that morning. Daughter Sue had asked us to get a new litter box for her indoor cat “Tia.” We drove to the Agway Store on Route 134 in Dennisport. Last year, we had found a much larger litter box there, which we use as a drip pan on the front porch for our first floor air conditioner. I resisted looking through the Agway plants and flowers this year. I can still remember from last year the most beautiful pink rose I have ever seen. It was placed on the corner of one of the walkways. It called to me. I looked at it several times but decided not to buy it. I have been kicking myself ever since. It would have been magnificent in our yard. We have such good luck with roses.

Then it was off to the Job Lot Store and the Dollar Tree Store in Dennisport. I love the Dennisport Post Office; the staff there is so nice. I had to buy some stamps. We stopped at Benny’s, which has interesting items to buy. By now, it was lunch time so we went to the Burger King Restaurant at the Patriot Plaza on Route 134. The place was hopping. Hubby was gone so long I thought he had to find a cow to get the beef.

After lunch we had to go to the little Christmas Tree Shop in West Dennis. When we first went down the Cape, our friends the Keans and then the Kenneys would let us use their cottage. We had such fun there. The kids were close to the beach. We could go to Cuffy’s in West Dennis, which in those years had tables outside with tees shirts for sale. It was just down the street from the Sundae School Ice Cream Stand. I loved sitting outside the cottage, reading the newspaper. I would be serenaded by the lovely sounding mourning doves.

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By the way, while we were out in the yard on Friday, we heard a mourning dove for the first time. It sounded like it was coming from the Murphy School area. We also have a mocking bird. He has so many calls, imitating other birds. I have heard him even during the middle of the night. I love hearing the birds. There will be more about our vacation at the Irish Village next week.

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Here is “A Thought to Remember”: “Giving makes a healthy heart!”