RYTHYM AND BOOMS

Sat. July 1st: the big day! RYTHYM AND BOOMS: The door bell rang about 30 minutes ago, our neighbor, Joe was paying us a visit to express empathy as well as extend an invitiation to join in the fun. He opened with "Hey there, I just wanted you to know that we will completely understand if there is a FOR SALE sign in your yard tomorrow morning!"

You see, our quiet Northside neighborhood has turned into a block party. There is music blaring, fireworks going off, grills fired up in the front yards.... We are just up the hill from Warner Park, which is home to the Rythym and Booms - Madison's annual fireworks extravaganza. Rivaling that, we are right across the street from Jon and Sara - who hold their own annual event, also run by volunteers, choreographed to music... They have been joined by others this year and I have to say, I am pumped up. (this probably will be the case until 3a.m. and it is still going on...as promised!) Gene and I are already planning what we will do to join the fun next year!

Well, Kate and Krista are here - so theReynoldsFam party is getting underway...TO BE CONTINUED...


Rhythm & Booms is Madison, Wisconsin's premier Independence Day Celebration and fireworks display. As the "largest fireworks display in the Midwest", it easily surpasses other fireworks events in Chicago, Minneapolis and Milwaukee because of the length of the show (approximately 35 minutes), the number of shells fired (15,000) during the show, and the size of its annual budget. It is the largest single-day event in Wisconsin.

THE NEXT DAY...

While storm clouds have temporarily threatened the RYTHYM AND BOOMS - which were postponed until tonight - Jon and Sara's party carried on into the night. Turns out that our neighborhood fireworks were the best thing going. (Next to the six sparklers we had to add to the display! Apparently, sparklers loose their color over a year or two they are left to sit in a cabinet. Nonetheless, we got right out there and lit them up!)

So, the suspense is growing. Is Rythym & Booms all that it promises, or is the anticipation of it all just setting us up for a let down?What about the people who paid $25 to park... will they return? Will Jon and Sara and their friends have a second show? How long will we be finding the remains of the firework show in our back yard and sidewalks? Will it rain tonight as promised and then what?????

I like our quiet, friendly neighborhood. I love the excitement of a spontaneous block party. People are fantastic. Many differenct styles, stories, expressions of our Creator. There is energy when people come together, we like to imagine... What if this was our church? This energy, these people...experiencing the grace, the power, the love, the peace of Jesus - together. So Joe, we won't be placing a FOR SALE sign in our yard anytime soon.