All Blog Posts from Couric & Co.

It's almost un-American, but in towns and cities from coast to coast this Fourth of July is coming in with more of a whimper than a bang.

There are no crackling fireworks in the skies...and no marching bands playing Sousa.

The economy is raining unfortunately on those parades.

Bismark, Missouri canceled the annual Freedom Fest. The town can't afford the 10-thousand-dollar price tag for the party. Moline, Illinois canceled its Summerfest, as well.

In places where the show will go on, the rocket's red glare may be less colorful, the finale less spectacular. Instead of a professional band, some communities will have students entertain for free. Others are organizing art shows, historical re-enactments or poetry contests.

It stinks to miss out on the fireworks, but the holiday is about celebrating the freedom we all have in this great country. And no one can extinguish that flame.

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July!

That's a page from my notebook.
I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. It never struck me as commercial as, say, Christmas. The Fourth is really about family and shared experiences and hopefully, beautiful weather. There's a wonderful simplicity about the holiday — and the food. Ripe tomatoes, corn on the cob (though it's a tad early for the primo versions of both) strawberries, peaches, cherries ... hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill ... my mom’s potato salad, which always rocked.

We used to spend many Fourth of Julys with our family, friends and neighbors, the Crosman’s, in Arlington, Va. Mrs. Crosman (who now lives in Maine -- if you’re reading this, Hi, Mrs. Crosman!) always whipped up something creative. But first, my friend Sara and I would light snakes on the sidewalk (remember those ... little bits of charcoal that would grow and look like snakes when you lit them?) and of course, sparklers as the grown-ups set up roman candles and the like. One year, Mrs. Crosman, who is a fabulous cook, scooped out the fruit (or meat, I guess?) from a watermelon and filled it with raspberry sherbet and used chocolate chips to simulate the seeds. Its funny how a simple thing like that is so vivid to me many, many years later.

I grew up outside Washington, D.C., and I still have wonderful memories of going with my family into Washington to watch the fireworks on the mall, near the Washington monument. I remember thinking they were coming right toward me; I wasn’t scared, just mesmerized. The innocent patriotism of the Fourth is something we can all celebrate, no matter how much our difference, or different points of view divide us...

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