America the Beautiful

America the Beautiful is my favorite song.  I can barely get through the first line before I start crying.  I'm happy for this day, which is usually the only day of the year we sing it.  And now I'm going to make you all read the words in case you don't sing it today!

O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet

Whose stern impassion'd stress

A thoroughfare for freedom beat

Across the wilderness

America! America!

God mend thine ev'ry flaw,

Confirm thy soul in self-control,

Thy liberty in law.

O beautiful for heroes prov'd

In liberating strife,

Who more than self their country lov'd,

And mercy more than life.

America! America!

May God thy gold refine

Till all success be nobleness,

And ev'ry gain divine.

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam

Undimmed by human tears.

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea.

Mom and I celebrated Independence Day this afternoon with about 100 other people here at TAE.  We had a nice lunch and fun talking! 

 Mom and me with our friends Stan and Jenn

 Mom with her friend Shirley

Now we're having a thunderstorm while Mom re-does the landscaping on my dollhouse.

Happy Independence Day!