Mostly, by accident, I think the blog stumbled and bumbled into perfectly capturing the true American Fourth Of July. The sun lit up my flowers, I ran into a volunteer fireman washing his engine, and best of all, Alex and his grandfather Alladin were back together again.

Aladdin owns a Slovenian cafe in  Troy, N.Y., and comes every week to the Cambridge Farmer’s Market in the summer. It was wonderful to see his grandson Alex, who endured hell in Ukraine, standing by his side to help him out. He and his sister and mother got out of Ukraine and into Poland with nothing but two suitcases.

Alex came up from New York to visit and help out. He spent the morning alongside his grandfather helping out with wrapping takeout food and handling the money. He did a great job.

The Army Of Good helped raised $10,000 in two days to pay the fees and travel expenses and get them here.

Alex is living in Brooklyn. I hope I get to see him again. I can’t think of a better thing to see on July Fourth. The real American lives on.

Alex has no news of his father.

This was the perfect American Fourth Of July surprise, representing the generous and welcoming, and tolerant country I know.

We are a proud nation of immigrants, the Native Americans were already here..

I met Billy Webster of the Cambridge Fire Department, outside washing his truck. He is the spirit of America in many ways – service, courage, community. He’s the guy you want to come running when you smell smoke.

This photo was out of focus when I took it, but when I looked at it, I liked its softness and feeling. I didn’t want to delete it or toss it away.

Some things that are out of focus are clearer to see and feel than things that are in sharp focus. I love the way she is wrapped in beautiful colors.

I had the same feeling about this out-of-focus hanging basket on the back porch. I loved the way the colors came together and complimented one another. You never know about a photo until you look at it.

Tomorrow, I’m posting a profile tomorrow of Matt Chimian, the landscape artist who donated four of his books to the Mansion to hang on its Activity Room walls. Tomorrow will hopefully be a quiet day for us. We need one.

I just had too much material today, it seemed like it all came together for the Fourth.

Maria and I are both going to see the new some of Sue Silverstein and the refuge program at Notre-Dame Bishop Gibbons in Schenectady on Thursday. We’re going to plan an art supply Wish List for Sue’s new and big art room class. We’ll launch the Wish List sometime in late July.

Tomorrow, reading, walking picture taking. Happy Fourth Of July. I’ll be posting.