Constitutional Appetizers-- Eat Independently

Alrighty.  It seems that I didn't make good on my promise of Wednesday AND I managed to kind of drop the ball on my paean to the Olive Garden.  Hey, at least I got some sleep and I'm still blogging about food, right?

Never mind that.  The first thing I want to do is to acknowledge the wonderful Anita over at Prairie Dreams,  because she gave me a lovely and very flattering award.  Isn't it pretty? I think so-- I'm a sucker for cute little illustrations such as those (the puppy looks like it's smiling!), and I am very flattered and proud of the fact that someone thinks this blog is "just plain fun to read"!

Thank you so much, Anita!! 

I suppose I should now make my selections for blogs that I think are just plain fun to read, but if I'm being completely honest, it's a hard decision.  I have tried to include all the links to blogs I read and enjoy to the right, in the DevaRoll heading, and I encourage to visit all these folks.  I will also be adding more people to that blogroll because while on "vacation" I kind of realized that TypePad was only displaying 40 out of the well-over-70 blogs I had on my list; and I also realized that some of the links have changed or have become invalid altogether (I wish Google Reader would fill me in when someone has stopped writing, as I feel like I'm treading water some days, with 200 posts to read and no time to do so).

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Enough whining: HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY, MY FELLOW AMERICANS!

I for one am looking forward to eating some good barbecue and/or other goodies at a friend's home later today.  And isn't Independence Day all about the eating, anyway?  Fireworks, grilled meats, and delicious corn.... mmmm.

Except that as I was catching up on one of my favorite green blogs, Crunchy Chicken, I read about how in olden times, yet-not-so-olden if you consider that today America turns a mere 232 years old today, people used to observe solemn and joyous occasions by fasting and abstaining.  Crunchy goes on to propose that maybe the Fourth of July could be observed with a fast as a sign of independence from consumption of all kinds-- our great American obsession.

I don't necessarily know that I want to fast today, as I'm pretty hungry and it's not good for a lady who is in, ahem, a family way, but I find her post poignant and thought-provoking: maybe the Fourth of July should be less about the (glorious) food; or the parade candy and trinkets; or the bigger, louder better fireworks that seem to dramatically improve every year.

Maybe the Fourth of July should be about realizing that we're able to overeat and overdrink and OD on candy and watch parades and fireworks or consciously stop eating and driving and consuming if we wish.

Because we live in a country that is independent, and was constitutionally set up so we could do as we please, within the bounds of the law. 

Because our free will is not regimented by oppresion.

Because we're free.

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About the title:  Here in DC, the streets that border the National Mall to the north and south are called Constitution and Independence, respectively (according to the L'Enfant plan they would be B streets, north and south).  Monsieur Meow and I have talked about which concept is more important to the basis of this country, and I think we have agreed that while "Independence" is a more poetic word with strong emotional connotations, "Constitution" is really the one that makes sure democracy is a process and not just an unreachable ideal.  Today's title is a nod to that. 
Also, I'm a nerd.