Here we are – standing on the far end of summer. The county fair is over. (Good job, Fair Board!) School has started in Sanpete. The door of carefree summer days is starting to swing shut.

It’s kind of sad. I could use more summer. I don’t need more ultra-hot days with no rain (which we’re evidently going to get for a while). But I could use more time to picnic, more time on the mountain, more pool parties, more color on my white legs, more time with grandkids – well, the list could go on and on.

It’s not a matter of needing more time for a garden. For the first time in many, many years, I didn’t plant a garden – not even a single tomato plant. I’m still quite amazed that I just simply took the year off.

The deer in the area are quite amazed too. I’ve been thinking that perhaps they’ve been thinking of hiring an attorney to file suit against me for “breach of contract” or something. I have a lot of nerve to suddenly stop providing a major feeding station for the neighborhood herd.

The only thing that discourages the deer from raiding the garden is putting up a fence. I started doing some fencing for part of the garden two or three years ago. That was after trying a “scaredeer” (similar to a scarecrow), hanging bars of Irish Spring soap all over the place, planting stinky marigolds on the perimeter, and everything else under the sun. None of that was very effective.

The good news this week, which off sets the sadness of summer’s impending departure, is the Labor Day holiday. A couple of weeks ago, I complained about August not having a holiday. One of my neighbors took exception to that complaint. His birthday is in August and he considers it as valid of a holiday as any other. But he knows what I mean.

I love Labor Day because it’s a holiday with no guilt attached to it. It’s not a holiday where parents have to feel compelled to gather the children around in a solemn meeting to say, “Now, we want you kids to remember the true spirit of Labor Day. Remember that back in 1882, Peter McGuire, the president for the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America suggested that we celebrate the importance of hard work and labor unions.”

Labor Day is not like Christmas, when everyone is constantly worried that we’re going to forget why we have Christmas. It’s not like Thanksgiving, when we’re reminded over and over again to be thankful.

Labor Day is just a good ol’ holiday to give us a break between the 4th of July and Thanksgiving. I believe that’s exactly what Mr. McGuire had in mind when he picked the September date for the holiday. It’s great!

There’s no heavy obligation or guilt associated with the day. Go fishing. Go to the mountains. Go shopping. Or, if you want to celebrate “hard work” – go out on the farm or to the office and skip the holiday and work it.

I don’t mean to trivialize the importance of the labor movement of this country. I know that laborers and the unions played a huge part in the successful industrialization of America.

I’ve seen the movie “Norma Rae.” It came out in 1979. Sally Field got the Oscar for best actress playing the part of a textile factory worker.

As I recall, the movie was based on a true story. Norma Rae at first reluctantly, then wholeheartedly, worked for unionization of the factory against great opposition. (I like Sally Field. I really, really do.)

If you haven’t seen that movie, maybe this Labor Day weekend would be a good time to find it and view it. If you can’t find that one, “Smokey and The Bandit,” from about that same time period, is a fun romp with Sally Field and Burt Reynolds. Of course, that movie has nothing to do with Labor Day. But that’s the point here; Labor Day is your guilt-free holiday. Watch whatever you want.

Enjoy your weekend. Remember the “true spirit” of Labor Day as Mr. McGuire envisioned. Honor hard work by taking a break. Do whatever you want. — Merrill

Newsletter