On the national level, Americans are commemorating the actions of the Second Continental Congress, who ratified the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 and established the United States of America. History buffs might be interested to know that the Continental Congress was comprised of delegates from the 13 original colonies. And, like much of what happens in present-day American politics, there was disagreement in the ranks over dates, details, and much more. Visit the National Archives online for more information.

Being interested in pretty much all things historical, I’m taking time to dig into the research about ancestors who might have emigrated to those 13 original colonies, and in particular those who, like many in my paternal line, fought for this nation (or any other). Among them: American Naval Commander John Paul Jones, born in Scotland, who helped establish the U.S. Navy during the Revolutionary War. According to professional genealogists, he is believed to have been my third cousin seven times removed on my father’s side. If you’re pursuing genealogical research of similarly well-known figures, you might find it helpful to search Appletons’ Cyclopedia of American Biography 1600-1889.

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Here on the home front, we have another important reason to celebrate:

Based on our veterinarian’s estimate of her age, our beautiful Sasha is nine years old today! She came to us as a rescue (bad situation, happy ending). And, much like some debates surrounding the Declaration of Independence, her documents reflect differing dates and details. We chose July 4th for her “official” birthday in declaration of her independence from the old and in celebration of her new life with us.

We’ve registered Sasha with the American Kennel Club so she can participate in AKC events such as Agility and Rally Obedience which promote performance skills and opportunities for handlers and dogs to work as a team. For her “official” name, we chose Ozark for our locale and Highlands for her Scottish heritage; we’re actually in the Ozark Highlands, so it’s a double play on that last word. We included Summer because she has a warm, sunny spirit. And I wanted her call name included because she came to us with that, so including Sasha gave us a bridge between her past and present. Sasha is now formally recognized by the AKC through their via their Purebred Alternative Listing (PAL) program as Ozark Summer Highlands Sasha.

The AKC’s PAL program, by the way, is intended for purebred dogs of AKC-recognized breeds who, for various reasons, had not been registered with the organization.  If you’re interested in the PAL program, you can find eligibility details here.

Sasha enjoyed a smidgen of cheese with her morning meal and will munch on seedless cucumber chunks (a BIG favorite) and freshly cooked chicken at dinner time. We’ll round out the day’s celebration with backyard frolics and be safely indoors long before fireworks boom across the county again!

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So here’s to celebrating birthdays, then and now. And here’s to another year of learning from the past, and to another year of laughter and love with our sweet Sasha!