Holiday Love
Julie McGue
Author
I love it when a national holiday lands on a weekday and the festivities can roll right into a long weekend. The extra days make it easier to schedule picnics, barbecues, and evening firework sessions without pigeon-holing events into a single day.
One of the things I most enjoy about the Fourth of July holiday—next to Christmas, it’s my all-time favorite—is pulling out my bins of Independence Day gear and decorating the house and patio. I tend to leave the décor up for as long as possible because of the great memories they evoke. To me, there’s nothing gaudy or gauche about sporting our patriotic colors well beyond the holiday weekend.
In the seven years I’ve been crafting this newsletter, I’ve written much about past Independence Days. One of the most unique pieces I published was during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic era when all festivities, including fireworks, were canceled nationwide. You can revisit that post here. Those were dark days, uncertain times, when most of us couldn’t decide whether to hang out Old Glory’s colors or leave the bins of patriotic décor to gather more dust in the attic.
A few years after COVID-19, the death of my husband again gave me pause about decorating my household for my favorite holiday. I wrote about deciding to decorate after all only to make a stunning realization. My spouse had thrown out my much treasured, vintage red, white, and blue buntings—objects that had been in my family for decades. But after hanging new ones, I discovered a remnant of the old ones. You can read about it, here.
Speaking of past July Fourth celebrations, in the monthly column that I write for The Beacher Newspapers, this week I share a reminiscence about something else our nation’s birthday has meant for my family and me. I’m sure I speak for many when I say, not everyone loves the boom boom, lightning-like flashes, and pops of vivid color that consume the night sky around the Fourth.
Be sure to follow my FB page or Insta posts for the link to The Beacher Newspapers column titled “Fireworks & Other Fears.” I’d love to hear about your family’s experiences with fireworks and other fears at julie@juliemcgueauthor.com.
Have a safe and wonderful Fourth of July week.
WRITING NEWS
Julie’s essays, titled “When A Tree Grows,” which she wrote for her monthly column at The Beacher Newspapers took first place in the 2024 Indiana Press Women’s competition. The piece was sent on to compete in the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW) competition where it again received first place as a General Column. If you would like to read the essay, contact Julie at julie@juliemcgueauthor.com.
Belonging Matters: Conversations on Adoption, Family, and Kinship has been named a Finalist in the 18th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards in two categories: Personal Growth and Book Cover Design: Nonfiction.
Follow Me Here
July 11-13, Julie will participate in the Midwest Writer’s Workshop, in Muncie, IN led by writing guru, Jane Friedman. At this conference, Julie hopes to hone her writing skills during its online workshops while networking with brilliant Midwest writers and beyond.
On July 18th, Julie will be the guest at Kelly Hochanadel’s ‘Twins’ Book Club. She will discuss her book, Twice a Daughter, and the meaningful role that being an identical twin has played in her life.
On July 22, Julie will speak to Hazel’s Book Club at The United Methodist Church in Hinsdale, IL about her memoir Twice a Daughter.=
In September (1-16th) Julie will join Laura Davis (The Writer’s Journey) and other like-minded pilgrims to hike, write, and paint along the El Camino trail in northern Spain.
In October (18-20th), Julie will attend Florida WritersCon in Orlando, FL with colleagues from the Florida Writers Association (FWA).
If you missed it, Julie appeared on FB Live with Meg Nocero, “Manifesting with Meg.” They discussed all things writing, as well as adoption, identity, belonging, and the importance of positivity. Tune in here.
Follow Julie by visiting her website, subscribe to her bimonthly newsletters, and listen to previous podcast recordings where she discusses topics like adoption, identity, and belonging.
“The more I think about this, perhaps, it is on us to reach within ourselves, usher hope to the surface, and then share it with others through the bonds of friendship and community.”
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