This Was A Big Labor Day... A Rejoicing Day...

Oh my goodness.. Today was a big Labor day for me. Pun intended.

Labor day weekend is usually time for the last big hoorah of the summer.

We had things to do. Husband finished mixing up the rest of the cement and re-did a portion of the sidewalk going up to the porch. He had already poured two new slabs on the patio where he had spent several days cleaning up, sorting and bundling vinyl siding a neighbor had given him a few years ago. The slab sections of the patio were poured years and years ago. and have heaved with the weather. He re-poured two of them. hopefully that will help me walk a little better out there.. LOL I tend to trip a lot in this yard..

I had a list of to do items:

1. juice and can the last of the tomatoes.

2. do laundry including several long sleeve items

3. get out some of the sweats and long pants

4. do dishes

I got the dishes done early.. Big Pat on my own back for that one. I even got up early. The first time all summer. Bigger pat on my own back. It seems I have turned into quite the lazy bones this summer. sleeping till 8:00 or so everyday. I'd like to blame the pain meds and the two knee surgeries, but some of it was just plain lazy bones.

The photo above is not mine. Not my tomatoes, but they sure look just like the ones I canned a week or so ago. My jars just don't look that pretty. We have hard water and lots of lime. I water bath can all my stuff. Just to be extra safe, anyway my jars come out all white and yukky with lime. I clean them off. but after a few years some of it just stays and doesn't wash off.

This photo is of my very own jars. Before I put them in the water bath. See pretty new jars and new lids (always use new lids) and new screw bands. Our canned stuff is stored in the basement and the screw bands tend to rust, so they don't last long. I love the look of these.. so pretty and new and yummy tasting.. shiny too.

I've been depressed again the last couple of days. Yesterday I put away the summer sheets, except for the ones still on the beds, and got out the flannel. Sigh, then I went through and got out the long pants, sweat pants, flannel pajama pants, and long sleeve shirts. The days are getting cooler as are the evenings. Big Sigh...

I have been pouting again about the Summer that wasn't. I pouted for me and poor husband who helped me with everything from toilet scrubbing, vacuuming, and dishes to canning tomato juice along with tending the garden, lawn work and other cleaning up projects throughout the summer.

I have been pouting cause there is no sun.. rain and cloudy just like my mood.

The garden is winding down. Soon it will be fall and then winter with cold, snow and ice. And then I came to the real reason I am dreading it all so much. It finally occurred to me. This will be the first Thanksgiving and Christmas when our family most likely will not be with us. Two of the grand kids have moved to Southern Ill with their dad. The youngest daughter and her boys are without a car (they live about an hour or so north of here) and most likely will just stay home to celebrate. The oldest grandson will be here I hope unless he has a girlfriend and then well , you know young men and girlfriends.. LOL He will pop in sometime during the day to grab something to eat and take home leftovers. The oldest daughter will most likely be gone up north with her friend to his cabin. It's hard to say. It will be especially difficult for her to stay here with her kids not being here. I imagine she will want to change her routine too.

So I have decided it's the huge change from the 11 gathered around our Thanksgiving and Christmas tables.. that is what is truly grieving me and making me so sad. I knew the day would come when they would be grown and gone and would call or drop by for the holidays, but only occasionally. I just wasn't ready for it to be now. This year. I'm hoping We can work out at least a meal on a weekend together. Maybe nothing on the actual day of.. just us. We need to get use to that.. just us.. kind of weird.

We sang a wonderful uplifting song yesterday morning in Worship..

"This is the day the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it".. I have to much to rejoice about to stay to depressed to long. So our holiday dinners may change somewhat, we can still enjoy them. Cause it's a day the Lord will make for us. Just like everyday..

So today. I'm rejoicing in the garden that gave us so much this summer..

way to go garden. I'm rejoicing in the sweaters and long pants of fall. That means Cider soon, and bon fires, and warm apple cider donuts. I am rejoicing in the friends and extended family we have here and other places. Who knows we may do something new and excitingly different this year.

So I am going to rejoice in the day I have today. I'm not going to moan over days that are past. or worry about days that have not yet come. I am going to rejoice in today, because

"Today is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it"..