I am so grateful...

...that my forbearers and all the assembled relatives from that little town in Italy came to America. Some went to New York, some to Connecticut and most here to Eastern Massachusetts, specifically the Boston area. More importantly they came to America. I was born here though I suppose I could have been born in Italy which wouldn't have been all that bad. My dad was a barber and by being in America in the late 40's early 50's he was able to get work right away and within 3 years we had a house and a new car. Only in America. I never appreciated living in the Boston area because in the 50's and 60's the city was in decline. The city proper population dropped from about 800,000 to 590,000. It was just an old American city getting older. Fortunately it began a rebound in the mid to late 60's and has done very well, overall since. Most of the big buildings you see in some of my pictures of the skyline were built since 1965.

At this point I have just finished watching The end of the Boston Pops and the fireworks display. It was gorgeous. I could hear the muted booms in the distance. The music was a little more somber in light of recent events. They played a segment of President Obama's speech when he was here after the bombings. It was quite moving combined with the music and pyrotechnics.

There were some wonderful aerial shots. At one point, as they circled, you could see Fenway Park all lit up as there was a game going on.

Today was hot and humid again with temps around 94. I stayed in though I will admit to having  two hot dogs and some potato salad. Those are the first hot dogs I've had since 2007. I could have eaten a third but I didn't want push it. The sodium in the hot dogs, not to mention even more in the salad, were over the daily limit in that meal alone. That's not counting whatever salt was in the mustard and in the rolls. It's everywhere. But it was just one day and boy did I enjoy it all.

OK 5 a.m. comes quick so it's time for bed.
I'm outta here.