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Every year our family has an amazing cookout in my uncle's backyard. Everyone is there, from the newest born addition to the family to granny and her sister. These cookouts have become a time honored tradition, where everyone brings their very best home-cooked dish and we all eat until we are stuffed and happy. All of that eating is followed (at least 30 minutes later) by swimming and a nice backyard fireworks show with the kids.

Our most memorable Fourth of July took place at this very location. The food was all set out on the patio and we couldn't wait to get started. Granny was sitting in the swing under the porch and her loving son had just brought her an enormous plate of food. I'm not sure how it happened, but somehow, just as she took her first bite, the swing came crashing down out of the ceiling bringing with it an entire ceiling panel and loads of newspaper insulation! There was a loud crash and we all rushed over to make sure granny was OK.

Sure enough, tough old granny was sitting there on the concrete floor, covered in potato salad and shredded newspaper and piping mad that her beautiful plate of food had gotten ruined. She was fine.

My aunt took her inside to clean her up. Granny had a bath was was brought a fresh robe to put on. My aunt was drying her hair for her when my uncle came in with a nicely loaded plate of food for granny to eat.

I'll never forget the look on granny's face when she finally came back out to the patio exclaiming, "I can't believe they made me eat in the bathroom!"

Now, every time I think of the Fourth of July, I picture granny, mad and covered in potato salad.

Learn more about this author, Jennifer Brister.
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