As Summer Labors To An End . . .

Cara/Andrea here,
As you know we Wenches like to talk about history, so it seems right to start off today with a small snippet on the origins of Labor Day here in the U.S. (For our international readers, the first Monday of September is celebrated as a national holiday to honor the achievements of the American worker.)

The late 1880s were not a great time to be toiling in the United States—the average worker put in 12-hour days, seven days a week, and many children as young as six and seven were employed in mills and mines. As unions formed to agitate for better working conditions, the clashes between workers and businesses sometimes turned ugly.

Perhaps one of the most infamous examples was the Pullman strike in 1894, when labor leader Eugene V, Debs called for a nationwide Pullman strike to protest wage cuts and the firing of union representatives. With the railroads crippled, the federal government intervened, sending federal troops to Chicago to break the strike. In the ensuing riots, over a dozen workers were killed. It was to calm working-class sentiment that the government quickly recognized “Labor Day,” a celebration that had been gaining momentum in a number of states, as an official federal holiday later that same year.

But on a lighter note, this weekend is also celebrated as the end of summer, with lots of parties, parades and general merriment before everyone buckles back down to school and the office routine. Of course, it’s always a little sad to see summer, with its long lazy days and laid-back pace, end. But as I look back, I’m smiling over the nice times I had over the last few months. Here are a few snapshots of the highlights of my summer fun. (Top to bottom: the flowers on the beach lagoon near where I live; I love walking in early evening during the summer and fix plot twists as I play golf; my wild raspberries which recovered from Hurricane Sandy to ripen in July; seeing fellow Wenches Mary Jo and Jo at RWA in July, where Mary Jo was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award; an August  NYC get-together with my best friends from college.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So what about you? What’s one of your favorite memories from this past summer? Did you travel anywhere special? Meet with old friends? Read a memorable book? Please share!

Comments

[Sherrie Holmes]

Sherrie here. Thank you, Cara/Andrea, for the mini history lesson on the origins of Labor Day. I always view the Labor Day weekend with a tendency toward the bittersweet. I hate seeing the end of summer, but I love the cool and colorful days of autumn, when one doesn't drown in sweat doing physical chores.

A very memorable thing happened in my life this summer: I found--and adopted--an orphaned kitten, and the little tyke quickly became the Wenches' godkitten. The 3-week-old Sparky Tabasco was a starving, 9 ounce baby when her pitiful cries led us to her. She is now a sleek 12-week-old kitten that has taken over my household, setting my life on its ear and causing equal amounts of exasperation and laughter. As I write this, Sparky has batted a pencil off my desk and is now headed for the hinterlands of the house with it, where I'll likely step on it in the middle of the night.

[Ella Quinn]

It was great seeing you again, Cara, and so many other friends I only get to see at conferences. With being in charge of three events at Nationals, finished a book, and spending time with family, my summer was busy. Things are just now starting to get back to normal. I hope to see you again soon.

[Andrea Penrose]

Sherrie, we have all been following the delightful story of Sparky's life. She has brightened the summer for all of the Wenches and our readers! Thanks so much for sharing her antics.

[Andrea Penrose]

Ella, it was wonderful seeing you in Atlanta too! Connecting with writer friends from around the globe is always a highlight of summer for me. Sorry we didn't get more chance to hang out (conference always goes by in such a whirlwind)but I'm glad we did get some time to connect.

[Amy J]

I'm fascinated that those beach flowers look so much like the rose shrub in my yard. Thankfully, it's still blooming...so I can still pretend it's summer.

[Andrea Penrose]

Amy, I think they are some sort of beach rose (or rose hips—I'm not a gardener!) And yes, summer really did seem to whiz by. Hard to accept it's September already and soon the leaves will be turning.

[Sherrie Holmes]

Ladies, those flowers are called rosa rugosa, more commonly known as a wild rose or sea rose. They are hardy and prolific and have a strong (and divine!) rose scent. Here in the pacific Northwest they are often used for landscaping difficult areas because of their hardiness and resistance to disease.

I yanked a small rosa rugosa out of the ground in a vacant lot one day and took it home and stuck it in the ground. I forgot about it, and that single plant not only took root, but spread like wildfire up by my barn. You can't kill it. I've run over them with the lawnmower and they just laugh at me, flex their root muscles, and send up new shoots in my wake. They don't last long as cut flowers, but their scent is so divine that you can collect the dropped petals the next morning and they'll still give off a lovely scent.

They also produce large rose hips if you're into that. Their one drawback is that every inch of their stems are covered in soft prickles, making them difficult to pick. And the stems attract aphids, but a good hosing takes care of that before you bring them into the house. And if you're a photographer, they make lovely photographic subjects, especially the bright green, heavily corrugated leaves.

[Andrea Penrose]

Oh, thank you so much, Sherrie! I love them, and as I am in dire need of hardy, prolific plantings to help replace all the Hurricane Sandy damage, I now will look for some of them to plant around my yard. They would be lovely to enjoy.