The 4th of July makes me miss home. Around this time (if memory serves me correctly…which could be unlikely!) when I was a little girl, we’d have a night in Australia that we’d call “Cracker Night”…short for Firecracker Night. It’s long gone now, mostly due to the heavy fires that regularly rage through the Australian bush, creating justified fire bans all the time. Thus, firecrackers in the hands of locals without a license is completely illegal now. When I think back…it’s insane that we had them at all. Usually my Dad or a family male friend would create a mound of sand in the middle of the back yard and stick a firecracker in it, light it and run for the edges…usually about 5 or 6 feet away…where EVERYBODY was sitting and we’d wait 30 seconds or so until the bright lights filled our eyes. Then repeat until we’d used up the $5 bag of fun. Whatever was left, the boys would use to blow up letter boxes or torture a stray cat. I always looked forward to it though. Now, not so little, I watch really big fireworks go off at Dodger Stadium from my balcony and raise a glass to two countries I call home, Australia and America. Both have their pluses and their minuses, but they are both home to me. Then I listen while the locals let off their own illegal fireworks all night long while they play mariachi music. I try to console my dog who cannot wait for it to all be over. Fun times! Happy 4th of July everyone…or Cracker Night…whichever you prefer! 
