CELEBRATE CELEBRATE!!!

 I am definitely celebrating the day today.  It's Labor Day 2024 and I'm partying like crazy because I don't have to WORK any more.  Fourteen years of freedom, though honestly I can't believe it's been that long.  I don't know how in the world I was able to work for that many years.  I could get up and be out the door in 60 minutes.  Now it takes me 60 minutes just to wake up enough to make coffee!!

To all the folks who are still working, I applaud you.  You definitely deserve this day off!!

In your honor, I'm celebrating with this strawberry Boston Creme Pie.  I look at these every single time I go in the store, as they are positioned front and center for quick sale.  I can now with great confidence, tell you to PASS on this one.  It doesn't taste NEARLY as good as it looks.

As you can see in this photo, I am also celebrating WASPS!!  I got not one, but TWO cans, since they don't seem to last as long as the wasps.  "Kills On Contact" is a lie.  I went out to the bird house, and threw rocks at it to see if anyone was home.  I'm no dummy!!!  Seeing none, I very carefully took it down and threw it in the trash.  No more cheap wasp housing!!

Then ... just because ... with BOTH cans in my hands, I did a walk around the house.  Sure enough, there was another group setting up housekeeping.  It was still small, as in about an inch around.  My aim was right on target ... TWO FISTED!!  

But WAIT ..... they did not die on contact!!!!  They just hung on for dear life.  NOTHING hit the ground.  I must have some nuclear wasps!  I'll check again today and make sure they find Section 8 housing somewhere else.

Oh it didn't end there!!!  As I walked into one bathroom, I noticed something moving on the floor.  Ummmm that's an ANT.  OH NO ... another invasion!  Thanks to Dave and Mr. Ed, I fooled the ants into thinking it was Boston Creme Pie time.  I laid down some yummy Amdro.  When I checked an hour later, the floor was covered with ants.  Here's just a small section of them eating it up like candy.  Oh yeah ... the Great White Hunter strikes again!!

Three hours later they were all gone ... completely disappearing beneath the wall.  Hopefully I've seen the last of them!

At long last, I was able to put my weapons down and load this quilt on the machine.  I love the fabrics, but alas, they are Civil War patterns, meaning finding a pattern to quilt it in will be a tough adventure.  I spent two hours looking at patterns on the internet.  I guess my heart wasn't in it, because after I looked at page 5 out of 79, I gave up.  Maybe I can hit the keys again today and find something appropriate.

I no more than got up from the computer than it was play time.  I swear this kid is why I'm still so limber (if you can call it that) after all these years of crazy biking, climbing, diving and running, just to mention a few.  When he gets in my lap and goes nose to nose, it's hard to turn down that happy face!!

There was some downward dog, stretching under the couch, rolling over under the coffee table and crawling on hands and knees for an hour.  He won and I collapsed on the couch to watch the Ellensburg Washington Extreme Bulls competition.  

Lucky for me, we never had those means boys on the ranch.  Our bulls were lovers, not fighters.  Oh I ran into a bull or two on horseback ... NEVER on foot ... but they were definitely NOT as mean as these guys.  Ours would shake their heads and bawl at you first.  At least they gave you a warning before they rushed your direction, but our horses were always faster than the bulls.

Guess what dinner was!  Oh yeah ... yet again ribs and Cole slaw.  Same picture, different ribs.  Two is all I can eat, which puts me on the couch for the duration.  That's okay though because they are SO yummy!

Did I mention I finished this quilt top?  All from scraps I had around the sewing room.  I really am trying to empty some of these boxes full of fabric.  I think I now have four to quilt, so it's time to get busy with that too.

The biggest surprise of all is how QUIET it is on this Labor Day weekend.  I've not heard one single piece of fireworks shot off, nor has there been a screaming loud dance party ... anywhere.  I'm in shock!  OH SO THANKFUL, but very surprised!!  Oh there was a shot or two to be heard from far away.  Dove season opened here yesterday.

By the way, the BAD neighbor's kid had to actually get a JOB that requires he leave at 6:00 every morning.  It's the best thing that has ever happened to this neighborhood.  And so I wish him HAPPY LABOR DAY dude ... enjoy getting up early and heading out to work EVERY SINGLE DAY!!

And to all my RETIRED friends, I hope you enjoy this day while reminiscing about all the hard work you put in over the last many years.  You deserve a day off enjoying the fruits of your labor.