Ghosts of Fourths of July Past, Part 2: State College, 2003

My Grandma Gaffron and my Aunt Sue had a prime piece of real estate. At least, they had use of it for 24 hours, time enough to watch of the State College Fireworks in 2003. A new hotel had been built on the edge of town, less than a year previously. Gram and Aunt Sue had rented a room on the side that would face the massive fireworks celebration that was to take place that night. Since the hotel was so new, we could not be assured of our vantage point for the show, but it looked promising.

My Uncle Carl and his wife Margie raised their family right outside of State College because 30 years previously, my uncle had found a high school English teaching job there. Now they had three children and three grandsons, and Gram and Aunt Sue often made the trip there from Irwin to see this Centre County extension of the Gaffron family. (My cousin Rebecca, mother of the three boys, has her own blog at: www.yeswearemoving.wordpress.com. The boys and their parents are living in London this year because Rebecca’s husband, Scott, is going to graduate school in London right now.)

Gram and Aunt Sue invited me to come along on this trip. I would like to say that I readily accepted mainly to spend time with my relatives. However, I love fireworks shows and am willing to watch them in any weather, so I eagerly accepted a trip to see the famed State College fireworks.

Uncle Carl and Aunt Margie brought fresh corn on the cob to my cousins’ house, and we had a picnic. Later, my Gaffron cousins and the cousins’ children came to the hotel where we were to spend the night to watch the fireworks with us. We had a clear, spectacular view of the show.

My last blog entry was a little bit dark, so I thought that I dedicate this second entry to some more happy memories. I am fortunate to have very many happy Fourth of July memories with my family and friends, so I have more stories for next year.