Enjoy the Holiday

Just like Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer, Labor Day always marks the end of summer. Besides the Fourth of July, these two holidays probably spawn more picnics and outdoor fun for families than any other day of the year. I'm glad we have a good excuse to go outside and have some fun.

When I was first married, Labor Day was a time for the Miller clan to gather and say goodbye to the lazy, hazy days of summer, but it was also a day to celebrate Mom Miller. Her birthday was September 5th, so this gathering was a good time to bring gifts, have cake, and wish her well for another year. It was also a good day for the kids to spend playing and having a good time before school started. It always started after Labor Day up north, not in August as it does here.

How will you celebrate the day? I will have some brisket and corn on the cob and remember all those wonderful Labor Days of the past.

Several days before the Labor Day weekend, I start thinking about the song, "40-Hour Week" by Alabama, and bits of the lyrics come to mind. My roots run deep in blue collar America, so this song speaks to me and my family. I hope it says something to you, too.

If you're interested here is a link to some neat Labor Day Quotes.

Happy Labor Day

Just a short note this morning to wish all my U.S. readers a happy holiday. For many people this is a special holiday to wrap up the summer and start looking ahead to fall. Families gather for picnics and cookouts, and when I was growing up, this holiday was almost as big as the Fourth of July.

And I fully intend to as soon as I finish this post. LOL

After I married, I was inducted into the Miller family tradition which was to picnic at a local park with the whole Miller clan. The primary celebration was for Mom Miller's birthday, which was September 5th, but it was also a challenge for the kids to cram all the last of the summer fun they could into one day. They played hard until we ran out of daylight, and slept through their baths. Moms and dads were tempted to just fall into bed fully clothed.

The holiday was started to honor the American workers, and I always think of the song, "40-Hour Week" by Alabama. My roots run deep in blue collar America, so this song speaks to me and my family. Enjoy!

Holiday Weekend

In honor of the Labor Day holiday weekend for those of us in the States, I thought I would the lyrics to this great song by the country group Alabama. To listen to the song on YouTube, click on the title:

  "Forty Hour Week"


There are people in this country who work hard every day.
Not for fame or fortune do they strive.
But the fruits of their labor are worth more than their pay.
And it's time a few of them were recognized.

Hello Detroit auto workers, let me thank you for your time.
You work a forty hour week for a living', just to send it on down the line.
Hello Pittsburgh steel mill workers, let me thank you for your time.
You work a forty hour week for a living', just to send it on down the line.

This is for the one who swings the hammer, driving home the nail.
Or the one behind the counter, ringing up the sale.
Or the one who fights the fires, the one who brings the mail.
For everyone who works behind the scenes.

You can see them every morning in the factories and the fields.
In the city streets and the quiet country towns.
Working together like spokes inside a wheel.
They keep this country turning around.

Hello Kansas wheat field farmer, let me thank you for your time.
You work a forty hour week for a livin', just to send it on down the line.
Hello West Virginia coal miner, let me thank you for your time.
You work a forty hour week for a livin', just to send it on down the line.

This one is for the one who drives the big rig, up and down the road.
Or the one out in the warehouse, bringing in the load.
Or the waitress, the mechanic, the policeman on patrol.
For everyone who works behind the scenes.
With a spirit you can't replace with no machine.

Hello, America,
Let me thank you for your time.
~~~~~~~~~

And let me add my thanks to all the people who work to keep the things we take for granted running smoothly. Hope everyone here in the States has a safe and happy holiday weekend. BBQ anyone?