Laboring

There was a time when the Sunday before Labor Day was the day to start putting away summer whites. 

Rule:  No wearing white after Labor Day until Easter.

This was a rule my mother believed in completely and I followed, as a good daughter should.  Mostly, it applied to white dress shoes and sundresses.  Of course, winter white clothing was (is) acceptable.  The rule pretty much disappeared in the 1960’s and today people wear whatever whenever.  That’s fine.  I still put away white shoes. 

Curiosity – where did the rule come from???  According to some, it reminded people not to wear summer weight clothing during the winter.  Really?  I give more credit to common sense but…….  It is also thought that the rule was adopted as part of a larger movement to “educate” the nouveau riche of the late 19^th and early 20^th century.  Older society families were concerned about fashion etiquette and established a complex code of fashion rules to guide them.  And finally, there  was the thought that the fun-loving summer days were over, people went back to their regular lives where lightweight summer whites had no place in their "real life" wardrobes.  And, the cutoff for white clothing became Labor Day. 

Yes indeedy-do, this would be
hot during a Texas summer.

Labor Day came into being in 1884 when Congress passed legislation making the first Monday in September a day to celebrate “the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country”.  I wonder if we still do that – celebrate the contributions of workers. 

Today starts National Waffle Week.  That sounds good.  If you’re going to celebrate, do it with style by trying …

Vanilla Bean and Blueberry Waffles

Banana Bread Waffles

Crispy Bacon Waffles

Chocolate Chip Whole Wheat Belgian Waffles

Apple Fritter Waffle Doughnuts

Vanilla Yeasted Waffles with Roasted Peach Maple Syrup

Churro Waffles

Chocolate Waffles with Peanut Butter Sauce

Belgian Liege Waffles

……. and I had a bowl of cereal this morning.  Rats!

It’s also National Honey Month.  OK, so we all know bees produce honey from the flower nectar they collect.  And, they produce more than the hive needs to survive which means the excess can be collected and bottled.  Raw honey (unheated, unprocessed, unpasteurized) is best as the nutrients are not destroyed by processing.  Raw honey contains bee pollen, has a high content of antimicrobial agents and is full of antioxidants.  It’s been used for everything from a sweetener to a medicine to a beauty aid to an embalming fluid.

I used to make infused honey to sell at our local Farmers Market – herbs, rose petals, citrus, peppers, tea, spices – all give honey a unique flavor for …. say ….. Waffles!

I hope this Labor Day also signals the controller of the universe thermostat to turn down the temperature and turn the rain on more often!

Take care