The upcoming July 4 holiday can be seen as a National, cultural and family tradition. Some things are pretty common during this time - firewords, barbecues, family gatherings. Some families lend their own brand of tradition to this event and it would be great if folks would comment back on some of their more unusual customs.

In our family it’s a tradition to grill chicken wings with a creole seasoning and eat them dipped in Ranch dressing. O.k., what could be LESS healthy. You’ve got the fatty wings and the fatty dressing. I usually announce, “Coronary on a platter, when I serve them. Nonetheless, they’re gobbled right down.

Like so many of “our” special days in the U.S., Father’s Day is also celebrated in the United Kingdom and Canada. On June 21 we honor all father. The recognition began in 1909 by Louise Dodd of Spokane, Washington. She must have had a pretty special dad.

There have always been communication problems between generations. In fact, there will be a longer article posted in the next couple of days regarding this issue. I’m old enough to remember when the big argument was over hair length. My goodness, the screaming and bellowing that came out of some homes when the boys went from wearing a ‘butch’ to adapting the Beatle’s bowlcut. You’d think someone had committed murder. Father’s were literally dragging their sons down to the barber. If these parents could only have looked into the future and realized that much bigger challenges were looming on the horizon.