If you're grilling this Fourth of July weekend... don't "just check the garden."

With the Fourth of July here, millions of us will be standing around a grill telling stories.

This one has become one of our family's favorites.

My wife Laura remembers her dad lighting the charcoal, seasoning the steaks, putting everything on the Weber kettle...

...and then announcing, "I'm just going to check the garden."

Checking the garden meant entering another universe.

Tomatoes. Green beans. Lettuce. Peppers. A few weeds.

Meanwhile, the grill quietly evolved into an active volcano.

Nobody got hurt. Dinner usually became pizza instead.

Years later, nobody remembers the steaks.

Everybody remembers Dad.

Happy Fourth of July weekend. Hope your barbecue goes a little smoother than his.

🍅🥩 Tomatoes Before T-Bones

Posted Jul 3, 2026, 3:37 PM UTC