Time to celebrate

It's almost time to celebrate, folks. That's right. It's almost my brother's birthday. And this year I'll get to spend it with him! Woo hoo! (FYI: Andrew's birthday is Saturday. I won't say how old he is because then you can figure out how old I am, and that would upset the space-time continuum. And then gravity would reverse itself, and we'd end up floating in space. On second thought ... )

Seriously, we're celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Avery farm. This is the truth. P.O. Avery homesteaded in southeast Nebraska in 1866, and the farm has been in the family ever since. P.O. was a veteran of the Union Army, serving with a cavalry unit from Illinois. He published his memoirs of the war, and yes, I have a copy. I've not read them yet, but I will. He came west after the war and settled just north of what is now Humboldt. He and his wife Angeline raised their family there. Their son Harry and his wife Nellie raised their family there. Their son Jesse and his wife Jean raised their family there (that would include my mom). And their son Dan and his wife Debbie raised their family there.

"The farm" was a regular vacation destination for my family when I was growing up. We'd go on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas and the Fourth of July. July 4 was the big gathering point for the Avery clan. Aunts, uncles and cousins descended on the farm for a day of fun, food (including homemade ice cream, of course) and family. What more do you want? You could hang out with the grown-ups and chat if you wanted. Or you could go outside and run around with the cousins, visiting the bull's barn to jump on the hay bales, kicking a soccer ball in the front yard or inventing new games.

We still use the farm as a focal point for family get-togethers, and this year is no exception, especially since the farm is turning 150. I'm told there are some fun activities planned, and I'm pretty sure everyone will have a good time. The small fry will have plenty of room to run around, while the not-so-small fry will have plenty of people to talk to. It will be awesome!

Oh yeah, there's also a holiday coming up that's kind of a big deal in Seward. Monday is Independence Day, and if you're in the area and looking for something to do, the schedule is full of activities. From the anvil firing to start the day to the fireworks providing a fitting finale, it's a good day. And I'm pretty sure everyone will have a good time.