Labor Day

Today is Labor Day, the last official long weekend of the summer. It's about more than barbecues and a Monday off, though. From the U.S. Department of Labor:

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Growing up in New York, Labor Day always marked the end of the summer, the return to school, and the start of another long winter. Now that I live in South Florida, we look forward to Labor Day as the time when finally, finally the weather will start to cool off enough that we can actually go outside. For us, it's the beginning of another beautiful winter.

Wherever you live, however you celebrate, take a moment today to think about the contributions our fellow Americans have made to the well-being of our country. Say a prayer for those impacted by Hurricane Gustav, say a prayer for our leaders, say a prayer for our countrymen. Say a prayer of thanks for this great nation we live in.

Whether you're mourning the end of summer of celebrating it:

~*~*~ May you always remember to dance in the rain, and may you have plenty of ladybugs beside you! ~*~*~
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Blessings,
Kat

Good in the News: Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics

Hello, my name is Kat and I'm married to an Olympics Addict.

Olympics are a long-awaited, revered event in our house. Doesn't matter the event, we're TIVO-ing pretty much 24/7 and watching into the wee hours of the night. Sleep be damned when the Olympics are on!

In spite of the fact that the bags under my eyes from too much Olympics and too little sleep are pretty much the same size as the Olympic rings, there's just too much excitement to stop watching for a second!

So many good stories have come out of these Olympics, and we're only 4 days in! Choose a story, any story, and you'll see why the Olympic Spirit is so strong, and why I picked the Olympics as this week's Good in the News.

Learn all about the Olympic Spirit

American Men's 4x100 swim relay team takes the Gold!

Russian and Georgian Olympic shooters hug in Beijing as their countries fight

Official website of the Olympic movement (check out Photos of the Day, upper right)

United States Olympic Committee

Fantastic Finishes in Summer Games

~*~*~ May you always remember to dance in the rain, and may you have plenty of ladybugs beside you! ~*~*~

Blessings,
Kat