let freedom ring

july is here and i'm in full celebration mode! this is my favorite month of the year; the one i look forward to the most. not just because it has my birthday in it. but also because it has fireworks {i am a huge fan}, and all the deliciousness of summer's bounty comes into full swing: warm summer nights, summer fruits, lounging on porch swings, playing on the beach, full bloom gardens, and outdoor tango {union square & goldengate park here i come with my dancing shoes ready}.

also, i enjoy celebrating being an american ~ for everything i dislike about this country there's plenty to appreciate too {made even more clear by living abroad}. even though our government does some horrific things, we as citizens of the good ol' u.s. of a. can make changes if we get off our lazy rears and actively fight for what we believe in. some fights take a long time {women's suffrage, civil rights, saving our national parks to name a few}, but history proves they are still worth fighting for and change can happen. if you haven't given any time or money to a national cause you believe in for quite some time, please consider the 4th of july an excellent time to do so. this country was created with our freedom to shape it and the remarkable concept of the "pursuit of happiness" as the cornerstones ~ so don't let them be in vain.

if you're not sure where to start, here are a few ideas to get you going:

american civil liberties union

national wildlife federation

native american rights fund

obama for america

american forests

save the children, usa

green for all

national endowment for the arts

and please let me know how you're spending your 4th of july weekend ~ i'd love to share in your stories and traditions!

me? i'm breaking all my traditions and going to that mecca of american excess: las vegas. i know, crazy right? well, i've never been and i think it's funny & fitting that i'm going for the 1st time when i'm pregnant. but it's for a good cause {and really the only reason i'd go}: to help a dear friend who's in dire need of my tlc. her well-being means so much to me i'm willing to go somewhere i never thought i'd go. but hey, i'll try {almost} anything once and no matter what it'll be an adventure. i won't be getting involved in all that debauchery but i'll hold my friend's hand as she does if that's what she wants, and i'll be the very best listener & cheerleader ever for the next 3 days. my goal is to be sure we both leave more light-hearted and balanced than when we arrived ~ yes these can be found in vegas and i intend to prove it. ;o)

where ever you are, whatever you do, i hope you have a very happy & healthy celebration of your freedom this weekend!

{several of the photos taken by me, a couple from flickr friends, & the rest from the depths of the internet}