Labor Days of yesteryear...

 Before I hit my pool, I wanted to wax poetic about Labor Days I've celebrated in the past. Labor Days were truly a celebration in past years, as one of my grandmother's and her sister both had birthdays Labor Day weekend. There were many family get-togethers in the past to celebrate, which were always happy times for me. 

 They were happy times because many of us would gather to celebrate. We'd go to each other's houses, eat KFC and chit chat. I also loved the fact that we'd bring our own drinks. Even when the family sprung for them my dad would still require the ice chest to come out and a stop at the store before we hit the freeway. I thought it was cute, even though it wasted some time. Everyone would also bring their dogs along. It's truly a family get-together when you can bring your dog along! 

 The picture above is the last birthday family get-together we had on Labor Day weekend. This one was for my great-aunt's 90th birthday. (She died the next year.) We celebrated in her church's auditorium. It was hotter than hell that day, and the church was also part of Edison's energy saving plan. We nearly died when they shut off the air during the hottest part of the day! 

 I miss those days. Even though I'm pretty much Facebook friends with everyone on my dad's side of the family, I miss the times we all got together and chatted. It built a strong foundation for us today. I remember when one of my second cousins moved out of state and how she welcomed me to come visit her any time. We also can ask each other for help if needed. That wouldn't have happened without the openness and spending time together for all those years. We came, we celebrated, we enjoyed spending time together. 

 I need to create those days again. 

 Happy Birthday, deceased relatives. 

 Happy Labor Day to all.