~ Labor Day: Past & Present ~

Labor Day 40-some years ago:  I'd be organizing my closet of new school clothes and finalizing my choice for what to wear tomorrow morning for the first day of school.  Between the clothes my mother had made for me over the summer (she is an expert designer/seamstress) and the accessories she had bought for me over the summer, I fully-expected to make it pretty much into November never wearing the same outfit twice.  My majorette boots were polished, batons were out of their cases and around 10:00 AM, I'd be at the front of our high-school marching band leading them across town in Tamaqua's annual Labor Day parade!

Labor Day 20-some years ago:  I'd be organizing our three sons' closets of new school clothes and holding out no hope of any one of them finalizing their choice for what to wear until about 5 minutes before the bus was due to arrive.  Between the shirts my mother* "had made" for them and the jeans and sneakers I had bought for them over the summer, I fully-expected them to make it pretty much into November never wearing the same outfit twice.  NOT!  With boys, when they "hit" on something they like, they wear it 'till it's dead!

* During this time period, my mother designed samples of children's clothes for companies like Disney.  The company would take a look at the samples and decide which ones would go into mass production based upon my mom's recommendations.  Convenient for me, as each year my mother would instruct her department to make the samples in the sizes of each of my boys!

Labor Day present day:  My freezers (4 total) are organized and I am pretty sure we can make it through to next Labor Day never eating the same things twice (thanks to my husband's summer gardens).  The air is crisp and clean and the temperatures have dropped into the sixties.  The college students have arrived back in Happy Valley and the excitement of PSU football season has taken over the entire town.  My kitchen is spit-polished, my knives are sharpened and I am ready to lead us foodies into and through the tailgate and holiday entertaining seasons!

So, how will we celebrate Labor Day today?  Joe and I will do an outdoor barbecue later this afternoon.  Not just because it is the traditional, symbolic end of the summer, but because to me it is the "real" last day of summer!  I will be posting these pictures and recipes very soon.  Enjoy your holiday everyone!

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Commentary and Photo courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2010)

Comments

[Kitchen Encounters]

Great to hear from you Jeanne! The garden is all Joe... aka "Mr. GreenJeans"... pumpkins, sugar pumpkins and butternut squash, all coming up through the ranks right now!!!

[Jeanne Cocolin]

What a beautiful glimpse against the blue fall sky of the wonderful garden you and Joe have. How many delicious meals have been and will be made from its bountiful fruits and vegetables!