Elisa's Daily Blog History of Labor DayHELLO! Well, yes, it is Monday, but with it being a holiday, it feels more like Sunday! HAPPY LABOR DAY to you!! I hope you've enjoyed this glorious weekend. Who would have thought that here on Long Island, we would have enjoyed such spectacular weather. Yesterday, was like the PERFECT day!! Sunny, dry, crisp, breezy, comfortable temps! My kinda day.  I tried to spend as much time outdoors as possible yesterday. Starting off with a nice, long walk, I made my way to Stop & Shop and got a dee-lish hot chocolate. Then I continued on my walk, just soaking up the spectacular weather and breeze. Managed to be productive as well, by picking up a few additional school supplies from Staples that the girls just informed me they needed. There was a reason I did, what I thought was the completed school supply shopping in early July...so I didn't have to venture into the stores two days before school begins. Ugh - there was a bit of a crowd, but I must say, they moved it along quickly. We were in dire need of a new pooper scooper, so I walked across the shopping center to Petco to get one. And then, I made my way home to enjoy my wonderful marinara sauce (if I do say so myself!) with some pasta.  I must say, I truly enjoy the Italian tradition of eating dinner early on Sunday. Do you know that I never ate dinner after 2 on Sundays until I went away to college?! That's right. And I'm back on that tradition. Being married to a non- Italian, I moved away from that, but I'm back on it again. Later in the afternoon, we headed into town (with our little Punkin) to partake in some dessert! Gianna had a craving for chocolate cake all weekend, so I thought it was time to give into it! The "four" of us sat outside in the beautiful afternoon breeze and ordered away. I ordered a "toasted pound cake" sundae with lots of ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Gianna ordered the same except instead of the pound cake, she got a chocolate brownie. Kelsey got....French fries. Now, please don't think we are gross, but Kelsey and I love salt & sweet together and we were dipping the fries into my dessert. Soo good! Unfortuantely, there were so many bees that it became annoying and we decided to take home what was left of our decadent snacks. I brought my camera to take pictures of Punkin's first outing into town and little did I know the battery was dead!!! Yes, Kelsey was making a video earlier and didn't bother to charge the battery! UGH!!!!!  YAY!!! Gianna took a few pics yesterday with her phone that I wasn't aware of!!! Good girl!!  Punkin having dessert with us yesterday! (c)travelincousins.com  (c)travelincousins.com  Chocolate Brownie Sundae - seriously??? (c)travelincousins.com Labor Day --- Do you know how this holiday came into being? Well, in case you don't, here is a little history and information about the "official" last day of Summer: Labor Day is always celebrated on the first Monday in September. The holiday is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers by paying an annual national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. How Labor Day came into existence and who first proposed it and should be credited with being the founder of a special holiday for workers is still widely disputed, even now, after more than one hundred years after the first Labor day observance. The story goes like this, according to the United States Department of Labor:  (credit:bigeducationape.blogspot.com) According to the U.S. Department of Labor website: "Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold." But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic."  In any event, beginning in the late 19th century, as the trade union and labor movements grew, trade unionists proposed that a day be set aside to celebrate labor. "Labor Day" was promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor, which organized the first parade in New York City. In 1887, Oregon was the first state of the United States to make it an official public holiday. By the time it became an official federal holiday in 1894, thirty U.S. states officially celebrated Labor Day. So, today as we honor the American worker and all who have and continue to build this great nation, I wish you a very happy and peaceful day!!! See ya back here tomorrow!! -E xoxo  | Tanya's Daily Blog |
