Labor Day

In honor of Labor Day, we displayed the flag outdoors each day of this three-day weekend. According to Wikipedia, Labor Day became a holiday in 1882, when the Central Labor Union wanted to create a day off for the "working man." Today, it mainly symbolizes the end of summer...a day for picnics and barbecues, for a last swim at the swimming pool before it closes for the season, or maybe for a road trip. With the price of gasoline, though, lots of folks, like us, enjoyed the day at home, I'm sure.

I started the day with a session on my home treadmill. While I was exercising Hubbie told me Son had called, so I returned his call at the end of my workout. Son, like me, is having to change his eating habits in an effort to lower his extremely high triglycerides after a recent scare with pains in his left arm and chest. In 46-year-old Son's words, "I need to change my evil ways."

As I was talking with Son on the cell phone, Hubbie's daughter called on the land line. She said she and her husband would like to drive the couple of hours over here to visit, if we weren't going to be busy. We had nothing planned for the day, so we were delighted that they could come.

I finished my conversation with Son, showered and got ready for the day, and then Hubbie and I went to the WDCS to get deli meats, cheese, and bread for lunch. Just as we arrived back home, Daughter and Husband drove up. They toured the yard while I finished putting lunch on the table...besides sandwich makings, we had low-fat cottage cheese, chips for those who wanted them, and grape tomatoes. Dessert was a mix of fresh fruits, topped with fat-free Cool Whip, chopped walnuts, and chocolate chips.

Daughter and Husband stayed until around 3 p.m. After they left, Hubbie went into the yard to continue his project of cutting the iris plants back. Mother worked on a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle, and I played on the computer.

Our Labor Day supper was fried chicken (using non-stick spray in place of oil), mashed potatoes, sans salt, white gravy, and canned collard greens.

Now, for the next few days, we will track hurricane Gustav, as it makes it's presence known in our state with thunderstorms, as well as flooding rains and possible tornadoes.