July 4th Memories

July was a month, as a young girl, that we always painted the house and July 4th was the big day. Cecil Ray, my twin brother, Marge, my sister, Maurice, her husband and their daughters Sherry and Lisa Ward , Claudine, my other sister, Sonny, her husband and their children, Celeta and Michael Williams would come over and we all painted. The young children did the back porch, as high as we could paint and then someone would come behind us and finish the job. Mother cooked the dinner and Dad always did the barbecue and it was always chicken. His sauce was the best. He cooked the chicken all afternoon and it just melted in your mouth. Mother did the potato salad, baked beans and sliced tomatoes. We had tomatoes at every meal because that was one of dad’s favorite. After we finished eating, dad would get the old hand crank ice cream freezer and mother made the ice cream and the men cranked the freezer. Sometimes mother made a cake to go with the ice cream but most of the time, it was just the vanilla ice cream. We always had plenty but not much was left. It was a busy and tiring day but we loved it because the family was together and as long as we lived in Lone Oak, Kentucky, we did this every year. Then everyone started moving away, going to college and it was harder and harder to get together. We do have the recipes. This year, one of dad’s grandsons, Jon Duncan will be making his bar-be-cue chicken for his son, Benjamin’s Christening dinner. Cecil Ray and Mary Ellen will have their family all together for this special event, which will be Kateri, their daughter. Andrew, Mary Kay, and children, Maura, Cara and Dan. and, Jon, Heather and Benjamin Duncan. I am sure dad will be looking down smiling. Claudine and Sonny will be at our house. We will just grill something and I will bake a pie or cake and make ice cream. It will not be vanilla but it will be ice cream.

Have a great July 4th, making memories with family and friends.

bar-be-cue sauce and vanilla ice cream recipe.



Quote of the Day: Cherish the Memories. Happy Birthday America!


July Birthdays

July 28 Jim Lewis
July 29 Joyce Reingold
July 30 Cara Duncan


I am Leta May Duncan Barnes. I was born and raised in Paducah, KY. I married James Lynn Barnes and we lived in, TN, VA, TX and endied up in FL. We did not have any children but I have plenty because I have many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and great, great nieces and nephews. They all seem like mine. I love doing things with all of them. We do crafts and most of all, cooking and baking. You should see my refrigerator, an art gallery of special pictures. So, along with all the things we have to do, you will be meeting my family along the way. If you can’t think of anything for dinner, ask a child, they always have an answer.