Monday, September 7, 2009

LABOR OF LOVE




















OLD WOODEN ICE CREAM FREEZER AND FINISHED ICE CREAM
There's a nice tutorial on making ice cream here: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Desserts/HomemadeIceCream.htm
Today doesn't feel like a holiday to me. I have the dishwasher running and in a few minutes I'll go downstairs and start the laundry. We have nothing special going on today unless we decide to go to the Holiday at Home parade, but that's way across town and I really need to get some things done here.
What happened to Labor Day being a fun holiday - the last one before school began again? Whose bright idea was it to make children go back to school in the August heat? I know, it's supposedly all about snow days. We didn't have many of those when I was in school, but why not tack on a few days in June if make-up days are needed? It's not so hot then and it would be preferable to starting back to school so early.
I don't appreciate people messing with my holidays. I have fond memories of my family enjoying Labor Day by holding a simple family picnic in our own backyard. Mom prepared hamburgers or hot dogs, made potato salad, and cooked baked beans. Dad fired up our little grill and my siblings and I helped set up the picnic table. It was one time we used paper plates and cups and had the thrill of eating outside. Don't things always taste better when eaten outdoors?
After the meal, we'd often make ice cream and take turns at the crank until it became too hard for us kids to manage. That's when Dad would take over and he loved making a big show of cranking the old wooden ice cream freezer until he couldn't budge the handle. That's when we knew the ice cream was ready. Boy, do I remember that "brain freeze", as we used to call it. That's when you eat cold ice cream so fast it causes your head to ache. Does anybody even make ice cream these days?
We'd enjoy our ice cream then play croquet or just chase each other around the yard until it was time for bed. There was always a bit of excitement about the night before school started. We made sure we had our first-day-of-school clothes picked out and our school supplies ready. We three girls set our hair that night and those brush rollers were so uncomfortable. We always thought our brother was lucky to have such short hair.
Now Labor Day seems like just another day. I miss the the good old days.

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